


Max Caulfield: The Time Warrior

by lis562



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Alien Planet, Aliens, Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternative Perspective, Dimension Travel, Emotional Manipulation, F/F, F/M, Fights, Fusion, Girl Power, God Tier, Government Conspiracy, Historical References, IN SPACE!, Lesbians in Space, Manipulation, Martial Arts, Military, Mind Manipulation, Multiple Endings, Mystery, Nightmares, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Outer Space, Science Fiction, Superheroes, Supernatural Elements, Superpowers, Time Shenanigans, Time Skips, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2019-05-05 22:07:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 25
Words: 88,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14628009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lis562/pseuds/lis562
Summary: After Max's decision at the cliff, chaos and destruction spreads across the world. Convinced that she's not the one responsible for the endless destruction, Max embarks on a journey to save Chloe, Arcadia Bay, and the world. Max goes back to the start of the week and convinces Chloe to join in the investigation to find out who or what is behind the chaos.  The duo soon discovers secrets about the Prescotts and world leaders, which leads them to dark and unimaginable paths. During her journey across space and time, Max discovers and develops new powers to defend herself and Chloe. Against her own will and having no other option, Max decides to take part of a conspiracy in order to save the world and defeat the entity responsible for the destruction.Can the Time Warrior succeed?





	1. The Time Warrior Rises

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on 2/22/2017 and finished on 12/10/2017 on Fanfiction.net
> 
> Author's comments:
> 
> Hello there. This is my first ever fanfic I have ever created. I started writing this one day when I was sick and while I was watching some Life is Strange videos. I felt in love with the game and even started a collection. I never thought myself as a writer but Life is Strange has sparked a lot of ideas in my mind that I couldn't help writing them down and starting a fanfiction story. Please be aware that English wasn't my strongest skill in High School and any similarities to any other fanfic is purely coincidental. I will take ideas from other games and movies and mix it up with the Life is Strange universe. Inspirations: Life is Strange, Half Life, Star Wars, anime (DragonBall Super and others), Back to the Future,and own imagination. So this fic will be a DBZ+anime+sci fi inspired fic so if you like those you might like this story. If you don't, then you might not like it. I really hope you enjoy regardless. This story is crazy and has a lot of things are going on. Can Max save the world?
> 
> Is this Pricefield? Yes...for the most part :)

**The Time Warrior Rises**

* * *

 

**Friday October 18, 2013**

"Rise and shine Miss Caulfield...Rise and shine..."

Max hears a strange unknown man's voice quietly speaking to her. An eerie deep voice she has never heard before, similar to Mr. Jefferson's but it's not his voice. Max begins seeing flashbacks of the events that took place recently. She sees Chloe and Nathan at the bathroom, Kate at the roof, Chloe and her investigating Rachel's disappearance,Chloe and her digging up Rachel's body,and Mr. Jefferson shooting Chloe. As more flashbacks are shown, Max hears the man's voice again..

"It seems that..your friends...your family...the world... needs your help again. You accomplished so much last time..who knows what you can accomplish this time around..."

The flashbacks come to an end at the lighthouse where Chloe and Max are discussing whether Max will make the ultimate sacrifice.

"So wake up Miss Caulfield...it's your time to shine again..."

As soon as the man voice vanishes from Max's mind, she hears a familiar voice shouting her name. It's Chloe  shouting her name.

"MAX!"

"CHLOE!" Max shouts as she wakes up from the apparent dream or vision. She looks around and wonders where she's at. This isn't her room or Chloe's room or anywhere she has ever been before.

_W-what happened? Where am I ? Who was that voice I heard speaking to me?_

As Max asks these questions to herself,she looks around and realizes that she's in a hospital room. She is hooked up to medical equipment and dressed in a hospital gown. It is day time. She realizes that she's not in any pain whatsoever nor sees any visible injuries to herself.

_I'm in a hospital? What happened? Where's Chloe? Oh god..what the hell happened? I don't remember anything! The last thing I remember is..Chloe..asking me to go back in time..and letting her die in the bathroom. We thought that this would save everybody and prevent the tornado. So..did I went back? Did I went back in time? Did it work? Fuck I-don't remember!_

Max grabs her head and tries her best to remember what happened. A nurse comes in the room after hearing the shout from Max.

"Oh thanks heavens you finally woken up Maxine. I will tell your doctor right now about this. He will be so happy to hear that you woke up. I heard a shout from your room and I came right over. How do you feel? Are you OK? My name is Jennifer, your nurse."

Max turns around to see the nurse. A Latina woman nurse with black curly hair who is probably in her mid 30's.

"Nurse..where am I? What happened to me? Where's Chloe...my friend?" Max asks the nurse quietly.

The Nurse smiles and says "You're in the hospital sweetie. Fairchild Medical Center. We don't know what happened to you actually. You were found in the forest by a rescue team. You have been asleep all this time and we aren't exactly sure why. Sorry, I don't know who you are referring to. You were found alone with just a few items with you."

_What? Rescue team? Forest? Alone? How..how...can this be? So did the tornado hit Arcadia Bay?_

"Oh no...Did anything happened to my town Arcadia Bay?"

The nurse nods and responds with "Oh yes, you're from Arcadia Bay right? We found your school ID from Blackwell Academy. Oh sweetie I don't know how to put this...but your town is gone. In fact, all cities and towns near it has been completely destroyed. Tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, you name it. All of that happened at once and it seems like it's spreading throughout the world. Some say it's the apocalypse."

_So the storm did hit Arcadia Bay. So I must have not gone back in time. I must have chosen to keep Chloe and let everybody die. Well... maybe I did went back but doing that made everything worse. Jesus! I need to get out of here and find out what happened. I need to find Chloe._

"Nurse..when can I leave? I don't know what I had but I feel much better now. I don't feel any pain or feel sick at all."

"Your doctor must clear you before you can leave Maxine. You need to be evaluated before you can safely leave."

"Nurse I'm perfectly fine. I really need to know what happened to my friend Chloe. That's all I care about right now." Max's tone changes into a bitter tone.

"Sorry Max...I can't let that happen right now. I will call Dr. E to check on you and you can ask him that once you see him. I will gather your belongings in the meantime and come back shortly."

The nurse leaves the room. Max is frustrated but decides to use this waiting time to try to remember what happened after the lighthouse discussion.

 _My powers have caused so much destruction and death...I'm responsible for the deaths of thousands if not millions of lives. No! Fuck that thought! I never chose to have these powers. I always used them for good intentions. How can my power be so insignificant_ _to save one life yet so significant to kill the lives of many? No...there's must be something more going on. There must be!_

A doctor with another nurse comes in Max's room. His name tag says Dr. Ernsberger. An older looking doctor probably in his 60's and 70's. He stands beside Max.

"Hello Maxine. It's good to see you awake. You have us quite puzzled by your condition. We never seen a case like yours. It seems you were dead but alive at the same time and you haven't responded to any of our treatments."

"Doctor..." Max struggles on trying to pronounce the doctor's name.

"Just call me Dr. E, Maxine."

"OK. Call me Max. Look, I don't know how I got here and why I was just asleep for no reason. I feel just fine and I don't feel any pain now. I'm really worried about my friend and what happened to my town. I need to get out of here and find out. I think I may have amnesia but that's about it and I'm sure it will go away soon."

The doctor shakes his head, disagreeing with Max. "I understand that you don't feel any pain right now but I'm worried that you might go back to your sleep state at anytime. We need to run some diagnostic testing before we can safely let you go. I understand you wanting to know what happened to your friends however, Max, your entire town was wiped away. There are no known survivors from that town or any nearby town...except for you. We don't know you did it but you were found hundreds of miles away in Klamath National Forest by a rescue team who brought you here for medical treatment. If your friends were anywhere near Arcadia Bay, they are probably gone. I'm so sorry to tell you this."

Max starts to break down and starts to feel miserable as tears are flowing down her yes. The doctor and nurses puts their hands on Max to comfort her.

 _So..Chloe AND Arcadia Bay were destroyed? Oh no...my powers can't fix shit! Is this all my fault? No!_ _Stop it Max. Just remember what Chloe said. Why is this all happening then? Am I not the cause of what is happening? Were we wrong?_

Doctor notices her tears and says "Here are some tissues. I will let you rest and take it easy for a bit before we start any testing. I believe Jennifer is gathering your belongings. If you need me just call for a nurse." The doctor and the nurse leave the room. Max continues to cry and break down.

 _Why me? I was just a 18 year old studying photography. Why did it all happened to me? What did I do to deserve this? My best friend and a lot of my friends are gone. Just like that. Dammit! I can't let this happen. I can't let Chloe and the others just die like that. I was given these powers for a reason. Oh god...do I even have my powers anymore?_ Max looks at her right hand and arm and attempts to rewind time but as she is trying to do that, Jennifer the nurse returns to her room with Max's backpack.

"Oh hello again Max. Here are your belongings. This is all they found with you. Your backpack with your school id, a journal, a destroyed camera, and this picture. The nurse gives and shows Max her belongings one by one. Max stares right into the picture given to her.

_It can't be! It's the butterfly picture I took in the bathroom! The photo that started everything. I can use this to go back in time again...If I can..just like Chloe told me to do._

Max, all of a sudden, develops a massive headache and she exclaims pains then passes out .The nurse rushes out of the room to get the doctor's attention.

Max opens her eyes and realizes she's back at the cliff with Chloe, the last event she remembers. Max wants to hug Chloe and tell her what happened. However, she notices that she can't control herself. She can't say or do anything that doesn't remember. She can read her thoughts but also the thoughts of what she thought at the particular time as well. She realizes she is somehow in her own memories. She sees Chloe handing her the butterfly picture.

"Max...it's time."

**IF YOU SACRIFICED CHLOE PROCEED WITH CHAPTER 2. OTHERWISE SKIP TO CHAPTER 3 IF YOU SACRIFICED ARCADIA BAY. YOU CAN READ BOTH CHAPTERS THOUGH IF YOU WANT! :D**

 


	2. Sacrifice the Bae

**Sacrifice the Bae**

* * *

 

**(Everything from the game's cut scene happens the same until after the funeral ends)**

Max smiles at the butterfly and looks around at Joyce and the others.  _This is what Chloe wanted_.  _Chloe wanted them to live instead of her. She understood her fate and accepted it. The storm is gone. Mr. Jefferson and Nathan are arrested. Rachel Amber got her justice. Kate and Arcadia Bay are saved. We did it Chloe._ The funeral has ended and people are starting to leave the cemetery. Max joins Joyce and David as they also leave and she puts her arm over Joyce's shoulder as they walk towards David's car.

"Oh my Chloe. A mother's worst nightmare. Burying your own husband and daughter. What did I do to deserve this?"

"Absolutely nothing.I'm so sorry Joyce. They will always be there for you. You also have me and David. We will never leave you."

"Thank you Max. Thank you for being so supportive of us for the past week. We are so glad that we have you in our lives."

David also compliments Max. "Yes, thank you Max. I'm so glad Chloe had someone like you in her life."

As they get into David's car and drive away, Max gets one last glimpse of Chloe's tombstone.  _Farewell Chloe._ Max sheds one last tear.

David begins to drive away from the cemetery and begins to talk to Max. "We completely understand you going to Seattle with your parents for a while Max. You need a break from Blackwell Academy and Arcadia Bay. It's been a tough week for a lot of us, especially you. We will take you to the airport after dinner. Although, I don't think any of us are really in the mood for eating."

"Thank you David. I need a break after the funeral at your house anyways. I'll visit Chloe's room one more time before heading out to Seattle".  _I don't know how long I will be in Seattle...I might even move back there. It will so hard for me to continue living here in Arcadia Bay after everything that happened. Chloe would want me to continue my career here at Blackwell. She would have wanted the best for me. I must stay strong. However, I definitely need a break now and maybe being with my parents I will feel better and regroup my self._

They get to the house and Max goes to Chloe's bedroom while David and Joyce prepare dinner. Max has decided to sleep here for the past few days to get away from Blackwell. She has already packed her clothes and necessities for the upcoming trip. Chloe's bedroom is exactly like it she last left it, smelling like weed and looking unclean. Joyce and David have decided not to touch Chloe's room for a while for memory sake. Max washes her face in the bathroom and starts getting ready for dinner.  _The plane leaves at midnight. I need to get to the airport a few hours from now._ Max charges her phone after texting back her parents, Warren, Kate, Victoria and others sending her their condolences.

She also opens up her luggage to make sure she has packed everything. She sees the empty new journal she bought, her clothes, William's camera, and Chloe's necklace. She sees the butterfly picture on the side of her clothes.  _I will always keep this photo and cherish it. Since my powers are gone, I can stare at it as long as I can and remember the amazing week we had. This week changed my entire life. Chloe changed my life. I will never never forget about that._ She puts the picture on her back pocket. Max heads downstairs for dinner with her luggage and leaves them right by the door as she joins Joyce and David for dinner. They have a steak dinner but none of them really eat much. Max just keeps playing with her food and Joyce and David are barely saying anything. All three are still down and shaken after what happened today. David breaks the silence.

"Well, it seems that not even this delicious steak can make us forget about the funeral. Max,if you want we can leave right now to drop you off at the airport. I need to distract myself for a bit and I think the hour long drive will help us both."

"Yeah, that's fine David. I'm done with dinner plus I think I can start writing new journal entries and maybe take pictures while on the road."

"Sounds good Max. Joyce you're coming with us?"

"No-you two go ahead. I'm not really in the mood to go outside anymore today. I need to rest."

"I completely understand Joyce". Max goes and gives Joyce a nice big hug.

"You be careful in Seattle dear. I always thought as you as my daughter. Be safe and come back to me."

"Don't worry Joyce, I'll come back."

David puts Max's luggage in his trunk of the car as Max decides to carry her backpack on front, carrying her most precious possessions. They wave goodbye to Joyce as they drive off. Max sees through the window people walking around in Arcadia Bay.  _These people have no idea on what happened this past week. These people will go on with their lives not knowing that a teenage girl could have chosen to wipe them out. Their fates lied on the hands of two teenage brats saying hella to each other._ They pass and drive through the "Another Great day in Arcadia Bay" sign.  _Goodbye Arcadia Bay. Goodbye Blackwell. Goodbye Chloe._ David and Max keep driving towards the airport, driving through countless trees and woods.  _No city life out here just trees and_ _nature. I wish it was day time to get a good shot._ Max notices that David's car is starting to make unusual sounds and begins to slow down.

"What's wrong with the car David?"

"I don't know Max, it was fine before we left. I will need to stop and check it out. It's a good thing I can fix cars. Don't worry, I'll fix whatever it is. It's a good thing we left early. Just stay still or you can walk around the woods for a bit but please don't get lost."

"Don't worry David. I won't wonder off, I'll just walk for a bit to kill the time."

David parks the car to the side of the road and grabs his tools from the truck and begins to work on car. Max gets out of the car and checks on her phone.  _There's no signal here. Damn. Oh well, time to explore the woods. Maybe I'll find Bigfoot or something._ Max begins walking around and looks back to David and the car.  _Oh David, Chloe and I owe so much to you._ Max turns back and begins to walk more towards the woods. She notices something familiar in the distance. Something she hasn't seen in a while. The ghostly doe, Rachel Amber's spirit animal.  _The doe is here! No way! Why are you here?_ Max sees the doe running away and sees it disappears before her eyes. Max notices the sky has suddenly become much darker and it starts raining shortly afterwards.  _That's weird, the sky was clear just a minute ago...what's going on?_ Max begins to feel the ground start to shake as well as wind now begins to blow hard.  _Oh fuck what's going on now?_ Max falls down and tries to avoid rocks and tree branches from hitting her. She sees David running towards her direction.

"MAXX! MAXX! WHERE ARE YOU MAX? CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

The wind and rain are getting worse every second it seems. Max shouts to David to get his attention as she can hardly move an inch.

"DAVID! I'M HERE DAVID!"

David sees Max and reaches his hand out. The wind is pulling them away from each other.

"Try to grab my hand Max!"

Max attempts to grab his hand but feels like she's being pulled away by the wind. Max begins to get blown away from David.

"DAVID!"

"NOOOO...MAX!".

David attempts to run towards her but he is also pulled back as Max is blown away from him . Trees fall ahead of David blocking Max's view of him.  _No David..no..what is happening?_ Max sees that she is being blown away, practically flying, very fast through the woods constantly hitting trees and branches and bushes.  _Oh fuck oh fuck of fuck. I'm going to die...WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? CHLOE IS DEAD! WE STOPPED THE STORM! WHY? OH FUCK! SHE DIED FOR NOTHING!_ Max stops being blown away and flying as she hits a big boulder. Max feels extreme pain all over body and feels she's about to pass out at any time. The wind and the rain have not stopped at all. Max tries to get up and walk but she is hurt badly and notices that she is bleeding all over.  _Chloe..is this now your revenge on the world? I'm a total failure. This is what I get for playing with time and space._ Max begins to lose conscious however she notices a group of men coming towards her.  _They must be running away from this storm. I got to ask them for help before I black out..._

"Help! Please help me!"

Max tries to shout more but she has no more energy left. She cannot move a muscle anymore. She sees the feet of the men approaching her. She begins to slowly look up to see their faces. She sees that they're a group of Native American men. One of them reaches his hand to cover Max's face. Max finally faints and collapses. The men surround her and pick her body up to take her to their village. Max slowly wakes up and opens her eyes feeling extremely weak and hurt. She notices a huge campfire and more of these native Americans. They are all looking at her, some are whispering words she cannot understand, and some are singing and playing instruments. She notices that the rain and wind haven't stopped however it doesn't seem like they care at all about the weather.  _What's going to happen to me now?_  She sees the men suddenly stopping whatever they were doing and start to surround her. All of them now start dancing around her and chanting words and one of them puts his hand on Max's forehead. He says a few words then lets go of her. Max starts to realize that she is now levitating from the ground but contrast to feeling afraid however, she feels at peace and notices that her wounds and injuries on her body are starting to disappear.

Max then slowly opens her arms and feels a great power, a great energy, within her. Max gently stops levitating but feels she's about to black out yet again. She looks to her left and sees her backpack besides her before she faints. The native tribe leave Max's body alone in the forest with her backpack next to a lake. The sky is still gray but it is no longer raining as hard and the wind has stopped. A group of park rangers eventually find Max's body and tries to wake her up. They are not able to wake her up but they determine that she is still alive. The rangers pick her up and carry her to their car to take her to the nearest hospital.

**SKIP TO CHAPTER 4 TO CONTINUE THE STORY. READ CHAPTER 3 IF YOU SACRIFICED ARCADIA BAY INSTEAD OR WOULD LIKE TO READ THAT VERSION AS WELL.**


	3. Sacrifice the Bay

**Sacrifice the Bay**

* * *

 

Chloe hands Max the butterfly picture but Max rips it apart and lets the storm take it away.

"Not anymore!"

They both watch the tornado destroy Arcadia Bay from the lighthouse. They hold hands as they watch the town get destroyed, too speechless to say a word. Max is stunned what she had to do save Chloe.  _Warren, Kate, Alyssa, Victoria, Joyce, I'm so so sorry but Chloe is the most important thing to me now. It was too risky to use my time powers again trying to fix everything._ They remained still at the lighthouse until they see that the weather has cleared. The tornado lasted hours but to both it felt like an eternity. It is now early morning around 7am and they drive around the town to see if there's any survivors. They find no survivors, just destruction and death. The diner completely destroyed. No sign of life anywhere. Chloe begins breaking down in tears knowing that her mother have died. Max tries her best to comfort her.

"Max, are you sure you made the right decision? My mother..Frank..all of our friends are dead! All because of me! How can we live with ourselves knowing what we did?"

"Yes Chloe, I _know_ I did. You're the most important person to me now. I won't give you up for anything. Whatever it takes. Look Chloe, think about it, we really didn't have any proof that going back in time would fix anything. For all we know, it might have caused things to get worse. I would have restarted a timeline and destroyed the multiple realities that I have created. There was just too much at risk for me to even consider going back in time and letting you die." Chloe gives a small smile but still looks unsure.

"What now though? What the hell do we do now? My house is destroyed and I don't have my parents or even David anymore."

"You have me Chloe. We can start a new life together and together we will pull through. As long as we have each other, we will be alright."

"What about your powers? Are you going to stop using them?"

"Yes, to be safe I will stop even though it will be extremely difficult to live with them from now on."

"OK Max. I still can't believe what happened to this town. Jesus."

"I know. I'm still scared and trembling..but I have you now. That's all that matters."

"Well, there's no point of being here anymore. There's nothing left. Let's go. Let's make that trip to Portland that we talked about or maybe even go south to California."

"Doesn't matter to me. Lets just get out of here. I'll go _anywhere_ with you."

Chloe and Max look at each other and smile as they drive out of Arcadia Bay. Chloe decides to drive south towards California. They drive for hours as the day goes by. Max has been staring at Chloe and thinking about the past week all this time but now starts looking out her window. Max notices they are now driving through a forest.  _Driving through the forest and woods with Chloe is so perfect. Whatever or whoever gave me the power..I now know why you gave me it. It was to save Chloe. It was always about Chloe. She's alive and we will start a new life together._ Max smiles and begins to stare back at Chloe and then rest her head Chloe's shoulder.  _I love you Chloe._ It was one of the most happiest moment Max has ever experienced. Max looks up at the sky and notices that dark clouds are forming rapidly.  _That's strange..it was clear just a minute ago_.

"Chloe, have you noticed the sky?"

"Yes, it's becoming dark very fast. I think it's going to start raining again."

Suddenly it begins rain hard and the wind is blowing with intense force.

"Oh fuck another storm? Crap! it's shaking too! Hold on to me Max. No way we will let another storm get in our way!"

"Chloe be careful please!"

Chloe tries to evade as many fallen tries and obstacles as she can but they both see a giant tree that is about fall down ahead of them.

"OH FUCK CHLOE! WATCH OUT! TURN!"

Chloe tried to turn in time but it is too late. They hit the giant tree in high speed causing major damage to the truck and injuring both of them. Max isn't knocked out but feels massive pain all over body and notices she has cuts and lacerations and is bleeding all over. She sees Chloe knocked out and not moving at all.  _No no no this can't be happening._ In a panic, Max attempts to rewind time however she is not able to do so .  _Why can't I rewind time? The time I really need it and I can't do it. Fuck! I must call for help. Jesus, who is going to help us? We are in the middle of nowhere!_ Max slowly gets out of the truck goes to Chloe's side attempting to get her out of the truck. Chloe is bleeding heavily from her head and all over her body and not responding to Max's words. Max uses every ounce of her strength to get Chloe out of the truck and manages to do so.

"Don't you die on me Chloe. Please don't die. Not now! Not after everything we just went through." Max tries to see if Chloe has a pulse but shes doesn't feel anything.

Max attempts to rewind once again but she fails. Max then goes out to see if she can find any other car out in the road but doesn't see anybody else coming. She checks her phone but there is no signal.  _What the fuck do I do? Hold on Chloe. No way I will let you die right here._ Max returns to Chloe's aide but goes down to her knee due to her extreme pain she is feeling and because of her injuries. She looks back at Chloe and she notices there is now a group of men around her. They look like Native American men and there's about seven of them. Max also notices a glimpse of something familiar, it's the doe-Rachel's spirit animal standing besides Chloe's body. The men pick up Chloe's body.  _Who are these people? Are they going to help us?_

"Hey hold up! Where are you taking her? Are you guys here to help us? We both need urgent medical help so please help us out."

The men don't say anything and one of them starts walking towards Max. He extends his arm and put his hand on Max's shoulder and she blacks out as soon she looks at the man's eyes. The natives pick both Max and Chloe up and bring them to their village. Max wakes up and slowly opens her eyes, feeling very fatigue, and notices that she is lying down and notices a huge campfire besides her with more of these Native Americans. They are all looking at her, some are whispering words she cannot understand, and some are singing and playing instruments. She notices that the rain and wind haven't stopped however it doesn't seem like they care at all about the weather.  _What's going to happen to me now?_  She sees the men suddenly stopping whatever they were doing and start to surround her. All of them now start dancing and chanting words and one of them puts his hand on Max's forehead. He says a few words then lets go of Max. Max starts to realize that she is now levitating from the ground but contrast to feeling afraid however, she feels at peace and notices that her wounds are starting to disappear. Max opens her arms and feels this great power and energy inside her. She has not felt this empowered like this ever in her life before. Max gently stops levitating but feels she's about to black out yet again but not before looking to her left and seeing her backpack right beside her and Chloe's lifeless body.  _Chloe..._ As soon as Max sees Chloe she faints.

The native men take and leaves Max alone in the forest with her backpack next to a lake. The sky appears cloudy but a small hole appears letting sunshine rays shine over Max . The butterfly picture is shown to be in Max's backpack, apparently appearing out of nowhere. A group of park rangers eventually find Max's body and try to wake her up but to no avail. They can tell Max is still alive but they can't wake her up no matter what. The rangers pick Max's body and her backpack and decide to drive her to the nearest hospital.


	4. Best Friend Reunion

**Best Friend** **Reunion**

* * *

 

"CHLOE!"

Max shouts Chloe's name and notices that the doctor and the other nurses are looking at her trying to wake her up by repeatedly calling out her name .  _I'm back here at the hospital. So that's what happened to us and how I ended up here. Oh god, it didn't matter what I chose. Chloe and Arcadia Bay are gone now and I'm alone in this world._  Max looks at her hand and thinks:  _I know I can rewind and go back in time now, I feel more empowered than ever. I need to get the hell out of here and find out what's really going on at Arcadia Bay and the world. I must keep it cool and calm so they can let me leave otherwise they think I'm going crazy._

The doctor sits besides Max and puts his hand on her hand. "Looks like you went back to your asleep state and woke up again Max. How are you feeling?"

"Great...actually. Listen doc I know what you told me before and I appreciate that all you want to do is help me. However, there is only one person who can help me now and I need to go to see her. So I would like to leave now."

The doctor shakes his head. "Max, you just passed out and were asleep for several days straight. You were just given the news that your friends and your entire home town has been destroyed and you're saying you feel perfectly fine and want to leave? I'm quite astounded with your progress and attitude..."

"Please, I'm perfectly fine. I'm ready to leave now. Where's my backpack?"

"Your backpack is right over the table. We can't force you to stay of course. As a patient, you have the right to leave. Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm pretty sure."

"Okay Jennifer get a AMA form for Max so she can sign so she can leave the hospital . I highly recommend you to stay under our care for a while but I won't force you to do so. I will leave you be and let you get dressed and prepare to leave. Please go to the nearest ER if you develop any more symptoms or pass out again."

The nurses and doctor leave the room. Max goes to get her backpack and makes sure everything she was shown is still there. Her journal, her camera, her school ID, and most importantly, the butterfly picture.  _Wait! Hold on Max. I should really think how I'm going to approach this. I will be going back in time to the start of that insane week. I will need to save Chloe from Nathan of course. Do I sound the alarm again? I mean that's how it originally went. Do I grab the hammer and knock out Nathan? That might not end up well for me or Chloe. I can rewind but if something happens to Chloe but I won't be able to rewind if something happens to me. If only I could stop time...and explain everything to Chloe...that would be ideal._ Jennifer the nurse enters the room with the form for Max to sign.

"What are you doing Maxine? Talking to yourself?"

"Kind of actually. Where do I sign?"

"Initials here and there and your signature at the bottom. We are all worried about you but since we can't keep you here, I wish you the best of luck."

"Thank you Jennifer. Say...can I keep this pen?"

"Sure, it's all yours. I will take your form to the office so you can leave anytime. You can use the bathroom in your room if you want. Goodbye Max."

The nurse leaves and Max returns to planning things out. She turns on the tv in her room and goes to the bathroom to wash her face. She hears a tv news report about multiple hurricanes affecting South America and a 8.0 earthquake hitting Italy causing the death of hundreds of lives.  _I know for sure I'm not the one responsible for what's going on. Neither is Chloe. Something bigger than us is going on in this world and I'm going to find out what it is...with Chloe on my side._ As Max is hearing the news and staring at the bathroom mirror mentally thinking about Chloe and Nathan, she snaps her fingers. She notices that the running water in the sink is stuck, in time.  _The water...it stopped._ Max also hears the tv has been paused and she steps out of the bathroom to check it out. The TV screen is on but it is also stuck and not moving at all. She looks outside the window of her room and sees people, birds, and cars frozen in place.  _Did I stop time? If so how...I just snapped my fingers and..._

She snaps her fingers again and everything resumes to normal. She's in disbelief so she decides to snap her fingers again causing time to stop again.

 _I did it again, I can freeze time. Just like when I saw Kate at the roof except this time I don't have a nosebleed and I can move around more freely. Yes, score! This is perfect! I wonder if it works just like my rewind power...if I touch something...me and that item won't be affected by the time effect. I must try it with something moving._ Max touches the tv screen and decides to freeze time again.  _Wowser! Just as I thought! The TV is not affected by my powers because I am touching it. OK, I think I figured it out. I will go back in time, freeze time as soon as I see Chloe enter the bathroom, and try to explain as much as I can and tell her we need to get out of Arcadia Bay. I'm still limited to the photographic boundaries. Do I have enough time to explain everything to her before the timeline resets? I know! I will write everything on my journal and tell her to read it. I must write everything I know about Mr. Jefferson and Nathan, what happened to Rachel, Kate, and the upcoming tornado. We would need to get out of the state before Friday before shit hits the fan and just hide somewhere. I will ask her to take pictures of ourselves...so if I ever need to go back in time throughout the week I can do so. Then...we can go from there._ Max finishes putting her clothes on and making sure she has everything ready. Max writes every important detail about the past week and lays out her plan on her journal. Max puts her journal in her backpack and puts her backpack on. She grabs the butterfly picture from the table and begins to focus on it.  _Let's roll Time Warrior._

Max, through the butterfly photo, travels back in time to the beginning of the week to the girl's bathroom. She hides in the corner waiting for Chloe and Nathan to show up.  _I must stay calm and relax as much as possible. I don't want Chloe to freak out and run away once she sees me and sees what I can do. This Chloe doesn't even know what we went through together...in a way... this Chloe is completely different from the Chloe I last knew. How fucking mind-blowing is that?_ Max sees Nathan coming in and starts talking to himself just like she remembered.  _Any second now._ Max hears Chloe enter the bathroom and immediately snaps her fingers to stop time. Max steps out and sees that both Chloe and Nathan are frozen, not talking or moving at all.  _Ok good so far but now to talk to Chloe._ Max takes a deep breath and puts her hand on Chloe's shoulder causing her to react and move.

"W-what? Max!?

"Yes it's me Chloe, your best friend. I'm here."

Chloe sees that Nathan is stuck in time and looks very confused and startled.

"Max...what's going on here? What's happening? Why are you here?"

"It's a very long crazy as fuck story Chloe. You must listen to me on what I'm about to tell you and please don't let go of me."

"What the hell is going here?" Chloe attempts to remove Max's hands from her.

"CHLOE! LISTEN TO ME! YOUR LIFE IS DANGER! OUR LIVES ARE IN DANGER! PLEASE LISTEN TO ME AND UNDERSTAND. HERE TAKE MY JOURNAL, IT WILL EXPLAIN EVERYTHING. Max hands Chloe the journal from her backpack using her other hand .

"Wait, what the hell are you talking about? Let go of me you're freaking me out". Chloe attempts to push Max to the side but Max is holding on to her for dear life.

"CHLOE! STOP! PLEASE LISTEN TO ME! NATHAN WAS GOING TO KILL YOU RIGHT NOW! HE HAS A GUN!"

"HE WAS GOING TO SHOOT ME? H-HOW? MAX HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS?"

"Listen Chloe. There's no easy way to say this and I know this will sound very hard to believe but you must trust me. Please please you must trust me. You're my best friend."

Max eyes begins to water and tears are starting to flow from her eyes causing Chloe to ease down a bit and lower her resistance to Max's force.

"Okay Max...talk to me. How do you know he has a gun and was going to kill me? And what the hell is going on here?"

"Chloe, I have the power of time. I can rewind, stop, and travel back in time using photographs. I started having these powers when I saw you get shot by Nathan right here. Somehow I was given these powers and I used them to save your life by sounding the alarm over there in the corner. Afterwards, we had the most batshit insane week we ever had but it was also the greatest week we ever had. We went through hell and back Chloe."

"Time travel? Max! This isn't an ani-"

" -Anime or a video game and people don't have these kinds of powers? I already knew what you were going to say because we already had this conversation!" Max's words completely shocks Chloe.

"How did you  know-holy shit..."

"Because I'm telling you the truth. I know a lot of things. I know you have a robot panda key chain, I know David Madsen is now your step father, I know you have his gun under your bed, I know about your debt to Frank, and Chloe, I know what happened to Rachel Amber. We found out together."

Chloe is beyond shocked on what Max just told her. She is lost for words and tries to think of any other explanation on how Max knew all of this but there's isn't. There's no way Max would know any of this and there's no explanation on why they can to talk each other while Nathan and everything else is stuck.

"You...know what happened to Rachel...?"

"Yes, Chloe. Rachel's dead. She was killed by Nathan and my art teacher Mr. Jefferson. They had some weird father son relationship going on, I can show you where she is buried later but first Chloe, you must listen to me very carefully and please don't get bloodlusted. Horrible things happened the first time we found about Rachel. Unspeakable things."

Chloe breaks down in tears and gives Max a hug. Chloe is hugging Max and sees Nathan, still frozen, and instantly gets fueled by rage.

"YOU'LL PAY MOTHERFUCKER!".

Max holds Chloe back from hitting Nathan with all her strength.

"CHLOE! I know you feel terrible right now but you must stay calm and relax. Rachel will get her revenge trust me. Didn't you hear me say that horrible things happened the first time we found out about Rachel's death?"

Chloe sits down on the floor and puts her head down. Max goes down with her.

"What happened Max? What horrible things?"

"Mr. Jefferson lured us into a trap. He drugged and kidnapped me and killed you in front of my eyes . Jefferson was going to kill me too after he was done with his photo fetish shoot. It has so horrible Chloe."

"Oh-god Max, that must have felt horrible. I can't believe this! What about your powers? If you can stop time and rewind time how did all that shit happened? Why didn't we kill Nathan and Jefferson using your powers?"

"Chloe, my powers sound amazing but they are limited and if I'm drugged or feel weak I am unable to use it and plus I'm still a teenage girl at the end of the day. I also couldn't freeze time before but now I apparently can."

"I'm still very confused about all of this. It doesn't make any sense to me. This is crazy holy shit Max."

"I know it doesn't. Look Chloe, in case something happens to me...if I black out or lose my memory or something...read my journal. It will explain everything I have told you and much more. Keep it along with this." Max hands Chloe the butterfly picture.

"So you can time travel using photos you said? You used this photo?"

"Yes, Chloe. I used this photo to travel back to this event. I am able to time travel by focusing on any picture as long as I'm in it."

"Pretty fucking weird Max. So...you're here to rescue me and warn me about the Jefferson trap?"

"Not exactly Chloe, I already did that. It's hard to explain right now but listen... something even more major is going to happen soon...something beyond our imagination."

"What's going to happen? The end of the world?"

"Pretty much Chloe. At the end of the week a huge tornado from out of nowhere will wipe away Arcadia Bay killing and destroying everything in its path. We thought of a way to stop it Chloe but...it didn't work out as we planned... and got us is in a very dangerous situation. I was rescued but...but...you were killed. There was no way I was going to let you die again. There was no way I was going to let everybody die just like that. As long as I have these powers, I will use them to SAVE lives not destroy them. Something strange in this world is going on...and I'm going to find out what is! I need your help Chloe...will you come with me?

Chloe thinks to herself for a few moments but slowly nods her head in approval. "Yes Max, I'll come with you. I still have no fucking idea on what's going on but yes I'll come with you". They hug each other and it is at this exact moment that Max realizes that time has not resumed throughout their conversation.  _Is my time stop unlimited? I better not find out right now. I need to leave-wait...I'm not restricted to the photographic boundaries anymore?_ Max notices that unlike the previous times she has time traveled through a photo, there is no visible effect in time and space. Max tells Chloe to open the bathroom's door so they can step out of the hall and check out their surroundings. They see Samuel, Principal Wells, and some students out in the hall frozen in place.  _This is amazing. I can now step out of the photographic boundaries and escape with Chloe._

"This is unreal Max, I feel like I'm in a movie or in a dream."

"I feel like that too Chloe but it is real...so real. Now, lets out of here and go to your house and lock ourselves in your room to be safe. We can talk more and plan things out carefully over there. We must not draw attention to ourselves for now and we must stick together as much as possible. I'm going to resume time in a bit."

"Don't worry Super Max, I got your back. Lets go"

Max snaps her fingers and lets time resume. They brisk walk together and they avoid eye contact with anybody on the way to Chloe's truck. Max sees Warren waiting by his car and hears him calling her name but Max simply ignores him as she gets inside the truck. They drive out of the parking lot and on to the road en route to Chloe's House.


	5. Back to Arcadia Bay II

**Back to Arcadia Bay II**

* * *

 

**Monday October 7, 2013.**

Max and Chloe have spent the rest of the afternoon locked inside Chloe's room. Max has talked for hours explaining everything she remembers about the previous week to Chloe. Everything about Rachel, Mr. Jefferson, Nathan, Kate, and most importantly, the tornado. Chloe is amazed on everything Max has to say and can't believe at all of what her best friend has become and what she just went though. It has been an emotional train wreck of a conversation full of laughter, sorrow, and tears. Chloe has questioned Max to death with some serious questions but mostly silly questions such as if Max ever banged someone then rewind or if Max ever made out with her then rewind. Although it has been hard to explain certain memories and events to Chloe, Max feels much relieved now after letting everything out and feels better as it has been a very long time since Chloe and her had a meaningful discussion in peace even though technically it's only been a week. Max wants to stay forever locked inside and safe with Chloe but she's on a mission and although she has control over time, she knows anything can happen at anytime. They are now discussing on how to deal with Jefferson and Nathan and their main objectives of their mission. Chloe has proposed that they should cut their balls off and kill them over and over but Max quickly shoots that idea down much to Chloe's disappointment. Chloe remains sitting on her bed as Max paces back and forth trying to plan this out.

"So what is our objectives for today Max? How are we dealing with Nathan and Mr. Jefferson? Telling David like you did in your time adventures?"

"Yes, but this time I want to do it as anonymous to avoid the attention and questioning from the police."

"That sounds very bland Max but I guess it's the safest smartest option. What's after that?"

"Make sure Kate doesn't jump from that roof. I was only going to text her but I believe a face to face talk would be the best so she doesn't even consider suicide anymore. I need to remind her how much of a beautiful and wonderful person she is and that she will get justice soon."

"I'll drive you to Blackwell to talk to her then. What about after that?"

"Then we can start investigating Arcadia Bay looking for answers. I am confident whatever is happening is being caused by someone or something in this town that will cause the destruction of Arcadia Bay and start affecting the rest of the world. We must also warn everybody in town about what is about to come so if we fail to find something, at least we will save a lot of lives if they believe me."

"Where do we even start investigating? How are you going to warn people without them knowing that you have time powers or can see the future somehow?"

"I have an idea where to start but I'll explain that later. We need to get justice for Rachel and Kate now and make sure those fuckers go to jail. Um, I still need time to think about how I'm going to warn everybody."

"So we're leaving right now? Can I bring David's gun with us? For protection?"

Max sighs and thinks it through. "You can Chloe but you have to promise me you won't use it unless it is absolutely necessary. Make sure it's hidden and don't play around with it. Having a gun didn't save us last time. "

"Fine Super Max, whatever you say."

"Good, now let's go before David catches us here and delays our mission...but first..."

Max takes a selfie picture using her camera and puts it in her pocket.  _In case something happens, I can go back in time using this photo. It's a good thing that I now have a functional camera with me._

They leave the house together and go en route to Blackwell. Max has texted Kate that she needs to talk to her right now and has something important to tell her which Kate agrees to talk to her at her dorm room. While on the way, they locate a pay phone that is still operating and Max decides this is a great way to tell David without being tracked or traced. Max gets out of the truck and begins to disguise her voice in order for David not to recognize her. Max dials David's phone number as she decides on using her most masculine voice she can do. David picks up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hello is this David Madsen?"

"Yes-who is this?"

"Listen Mr. Madsen I have something to tell you about Rachel Amber. I know where she is."

"What? Who is this? What do you know about Rachel? This better not be a prank or a joke buddy."

"Listen soldier, you better have a pen and paper ready because I'm only going to say this once. I don't have much time so listen up!."

"Okay okay hold on!! Alright!  Talk now!"

"MARK JEFFERSON AND NATHAN PRESCOTT. MURDERED. RACHEL AMBER. DARK ROOM. BUNKER UNDER OLD BARN HOUSE. PRESCOTT BARN. BODY AT JUNKYARD. BODY AT JUNKYARD. KATE MARSH. DRUGS. CALL POLICE. HURRY. GOODBYE"

"W-wait hold on! Who are you-"

Max hangs up the pay phone and decides to dial the local news station while she's at it.  _I will call and try to speak with the weather man and tell him about the tornado and the eclipses that will happen. He will warn everybody because he will see that I'm telling him the truth tonight._

The news station front office receptionist answers the phone. "Hello thank you for calling Arcadia Bay news how can I help you?"

"Hello, yes? I need to speak with the weatherman immediately. I'm his daughter and I need to speak to him now, it's an emergency."

"Ok dear, let me see if I can get him on the line for you." The woman puts Max on hold for a minute before the weatherman picks up.

"Hello Megan? What's going on with you sweetie? Why didn't you call my cell phone?"

"Listen sir, I'm not your daughter, but I do want to report an emergency regarding the weather. Something big will hit Arcadia Bay this week that everybody in town needs to know."

"W-what? Who is this? Is this a prank?"

"Listen to me! I know you're not going to believe me right now but you will soon see that I'm telling you the truth tonight. A tornado will destroy Arcadia Bay this Friday. There will be several omens starting tonight. Today it will start snowing, tomorrow we will see an eclipse, Wednesday there will be beached whales all over the beach coast, and Thursday there will be another eclipse and dead birds will drop dead all over the town."

"Girl, you're on some drugs aren't you? There hasn't been a tornado in Oregon in over 20 years and snow is impossible now at this time."

"Go outside in an hour and see for yourself. Warn everybody what I just told you or the deaths of many people will be your responsibility." Max hangs up the phone and heads towards Chloe's truck.  _Okay, David and the weather guy probably are freaking out right now but this should work and I know it will. Now it's Kate time._ They drive to Blackwell and walk towards the dorms to visit Kate. Kate greets them with a smile but is clearly visibly upset and there are signs that she has been crying lately. They enter the room with Max leading the conversation.

"Hey Kate thank you for letting us talk to you right now. I know you aren't in the mood for company right now so I'm very glad you accepted."

"Yes, Kate. We're here for you." Chloe gives Kate a smile.

"Thank you guys for coming by. I wasn't going to say yes but you sent me such a lovely text Max and I could use some friends right now. What is that important thing you wanted to talk to me about Max?"

Max puts her hands on Kate's shoulders. "Listen Kate. Never forget that people are here for you. Never forget how special you are to your father, your sisters, and to us. You are not alone, never forget about that Kate. Those people responsible for what happened to you on the night of the party will get what they deserve. You will rise above this Kate, you are strong and I know you can pull through. Always remember Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will you the rest."

Kate gets a bit teary eye'd and smiles at Max and gives her a hug. "Thank you so much Max. I don't know what to say...I haven't felt this good in a such a long time. Are you sure they will catch the people responsible for what happened to me?"

"I bet my life on it . Let's hug on it."

Kate and Max hug each other once more, this time, for a straight minute as Chloe watches them with a smile on her face

"Ok Kate, we got to go and take care of something important. Text me if you need me ok? We're here for you."

They hug again and as they are doing that Max sees Chloe who lip talks "What about the tornado?" which Max lip talks "Not now."

Max and Chloe leaves Kate's dorm and they go into Max's room. Chloe comments on Max's room and how lame and clean the room is compared to hers. Here Max gathers up her belongings, her laptop, some clothes, and pack up the essentials.  _Packing ahead now so I won't have to do it later when we leave Arcadia Bay._  Both of them walk back to Chloe's truck trying to avoid eye contact and conversations with any of the passing students and avoid Nathan. Max keeps getting bombarded with texts from Warren asking her on what's going on and why she ignored him so she texts back and tells him that she will talk to him later and she is taking care of something important. Warren keeps texting but Max simply ignores him and doesn't respond. They get back in the truck and drive away from Blackwell.

"Okay Max, we are done with our main three objectives in our mission. Where to now? You said you had an idea where to start investigating?"

"Yes, Chloe I have a good idea where to start looking for clues and well you may not like it. One word: Prescott. Sean Prescott."

"Nathan's father? I mean, everybody hates the whole family but why investigate them?"

"Yes, his father. You see, when we were investigating Rachel's disappearance there were several things that we learned about the Prescotts but we really only focused on Nathan and nobody else in the family. I'm sure you already know this but the Prescotts practically own Blackwell and a lot of land in Arcadia Bay. The dark room that I talked to you about was funded with Prescott money and the family has built other secret bunkers throughout the town. Sean Prescott might have known about what his son and Jefferson were up to and somehow may have also known that something will eventually hit Arcadia Bay. They are a pretty shady family to begin with and they just give very bad vibes. We need to infiltrate the Prescott home to see if we can uncover some crazy shit hidden there."

"We're going to invade the Prescott's home? That sounds pretty hardcore Max. How are we going to do it? The Prescotts are a pretty powerful family, it will not be easy even with your powers. Aren't the police going to start investigating the family anyways once they find out about the dark room connection?"

"You're right Chloe, it will not be easy at all but I know we can do it together. If the police does investigate them it will only be regarding Rachel's murder but not regarding the crazy tornado that is going to kill everybody. That's where we come in."

"So-do we go over there right now? Like right now right now? Any other suspects other than the Prescotts?"

"Might as well Chloe. Well, maybe we should also look into the native tribes that live outside Arcadia Bay. Remember I told you that some native Americans saved me from the storm and cured me? I think they might have an explanation."

Chloe questions Max about this and becomes hesitant. "Isn't it too much on one go? I understand that you feel like Rambo and wants things to get done but I think we should slow down and make sure on what you just did actually works out. I thought we were going to hit a library or something not home invasion."

Max takes a minute to think about what Chloe said to her.  _She's right. We are moving way too fast in one go. We need to confirm that David does take care of Jefferson and that the weatherman reports about my phone call predictions. I might be way over my head..wait I know! I remember in the plane reading the newspaper that Sean Prescott was going to be questioned by the police about his possible involvement in Rachel's disappearance. I will use this distraction and we will strike when Sean Prescott is being interrogated._

"You're right Chloe. This is too much at once. Let's go to your house to watch the news and make sure David is out there investigating about Rachel. We should take a break and maybe call it a night."

"Good that you agreed with me. I'm hungry as the wolf right now and would like to eat dinner now. We can finally have some fun together while we wait."

"Fun? Isn't saving the world fun?"

"Yes, Max, fun! Let's do fun things together and fuck things up. We don't have to be totally serious all the time. We deserve a break from our mission. Put yourself in my shoes, I get my best friend back and she's all supersized yet all she wants to do is raid homes and try to save the world. It's not exactly the type of fun I like Max."

"Well-okay Chloe sure, let's go have fun and eat. Now that I think about it, it's been a while since I actually ate something."

"Right on sister." They head back to Chloe's house and find Joyce in the kitchen preparing dinner. David is nowhere on sight.

Joyce sees them entering the kitchen and is surprised when she sees Max.

"Hi Chloe and oh my god is that you Max?"

"Hi Joyce, yes it's me." Max smiles at Joyce and gives her a hug

"I'm so glad to see you again! Look at you! You're a grown woman now! I can't believe it!"

"Thanks Joyce. You're exactly like I just remember you. Hey Joyce, is David home?"

"David? I guess Chloe told you about David already. No, he's not home right now. He told me that he got a lead in a case he was working on and was checking things out.  _Nice work David._  He told me he wouldn't come home immediately after work. Why do you ask?"

"Oh I see, I'm just curious."

"You always were curious Max. You haven't change much huh?"

"I guess not!"

"I'm cooking up dinner that will be ready in 20 minutes or so. I'll call you guys up once it's ready. Max, I hope you are a good influence to Chloe, I'm sure she has told you what's she been up to."

"Don't worry Joyce, I will try." Chloe rolls her eyes but soon notices, through the living room window, that it has started to snow outside.

"Snow? What the hell?" Joyce is beyond shocked.

Max and Chloe look at each other trying to look surprised about what is happening outside.

"Wow that's crazy. Let's see how the meteorologists explain that."

"They better explain it Max. I haven't seen snow fall in years!"

They all step out to see and feel the snow falling from the sky in this 80 degree weather. Although Chloe already knew this was going to happen, she still is in disbelief that snow is falling at this time. Chloe and Max step back inside the house as Joyce is still in shock about the snow and they head upstairs back to Chloe's room. Chloe puts on some music and begins to rock out. Chloe wants to have some real fun with her best friend that she hasn't seen in 5 years.

Chloe looks at Max who is just standing there and looking lost and distracted. Her mindset is completely fixed on the tornado, Kate, and the Prescotts.

"C'mon Max! Dance and shake that booty"

"Dancing? I'm not much of a dancer".

"Oh C'mon Max! You said that we were going to have fun!". Chloe pulls Max towards her and continues to dance.

Max hesitates but eventually starts slowly moving to the music with Chloe. Max starts to really get into it and enjoying the moment and begins to stare at Chloe's face and smile. It's been a while since Max has seen Chloe this happy and cheerful. Max goes in for a kiss which Chloe quickly rejects and pushes her away.

"Whoa Max. Hold on there. Did you just try to kiss me?"

"Yes-oh my im so sorry Chloe I don't know what I was thinking".

"Well this got awkward very fast. I think too many emotions and feelings for you today huh?" Chloe turns off the music and sits on her bed.

"I-I guess so Chloe."

"Hey Max, I have thought about this but I don't think I have asked you this question yet. Why do you need my help?"

"Because you're my partner in crime Chloe and my best friend."

"I guess but why should I help you? You're the one with superpowers not me."

"Yes, Chloe I have powers but I also need a sidekick. Don't you want to find out what's going on with the Prescotts and trying to figure out what's causing the tornado? Don't you want to know whether or not the Prescotts had something to do with Rachel?"

"I do Max but maybe you're going way over your head. Invading a home and being secret agents isn't something I want to do right now or plan to do."

"What? So you're not going to come and investigate with me then?" Max starts to get a bit upset.

"I have to think about it Max."

Max is several disappointed and upset that Chloe is considering not even coming with her to investigate the Prescotts.  _This is not the Chloe I'm used to or last knew. The Chloe that I talked at the lighthouse would be more fearless and follow me anywhere._

"Look Max, I will still help in your mission but please keep a distance ok? I barely know you after all these years and I don't like you in that way. You're still my friend ok?

Max gets even more upset and starts to feel heartbroken. It isn't until Chloe says these words that she finally realizes that this Chloe is not at all related the Chloe she talked to at the lighthouse. This Chloe did not experience what they went through together, she was just told about it. It wasn't until today that this Chloe would see and talk to Max after a long time after all. This is completely different scenario from the previous timeline. Chloe was in control and was the leader and Max was the follower, now the roles have been reversed. Max is in total control and Chloe is the follower.  _This new Chloe has no reason to return my feelings and did not experience what we went through. Why did I kiss her? That was a stupid move. I should have known better._ Joyce knocks on the door and letting them know the dinner is about to be ready.

"OK mom we'll head downstairs right now." Chloe shouts as Joyce heads back downstairs. Chloe takes a good look at Max who is looking visibly upset. Chloe makes up her mind.

"OK Super Max, I'll come with you to investigate the Prescotts. I know that means so much for you and it might be interesting. However, you have to promise me that after that, we start doing things that I want to do. You're my best friend after all and I would like to spend time together not relating to the mission."

This cheers Max up and head downstairs together. Joyce had made pork chops for all three of them as David is still not around. Joyce keeps asking Max questions about herself, about Blackwell, and about how Chloe has changed. It's a very awkward dinner for Max for many reasons as she has had this conversation with Joyce already and that Chloe has just rejected her in her room. Max sees that it's still snowing outside and realizes that the news is about to start any minute now. Joyce gets up to turn on the tv to see if they are going to report on the snow.

"GOOD EVENING ARCADIA BAY. WE START TONIGHT WITH SOME BREAKING NEWS ON THE WEATHER. HERE'S BRIAN STARKS METEOROLOGIST WITH MORE DETAILS. Hello Arcadia Bay,if you haven't stepped out of your home or work and gone outside the past hour then you better do so because you won't believe me when I say that snow is falling from the sky. Yes SNOW! Snow in 80 degree weather is something I have never heard of! I'm currently investigating how the hell this is happening but it seems like one person out there knows more than any of us here. You see folks, I received a phone call earlier today from somebody that told me it was going to snow! Of course I didn't believe it and I thought that person was high on drugs. Well now I look stupid! This person also told me a few other things! An eclipse will happen tomorrow afternoon and there will be beached whales and dead birds the following days. Worst of all, this person also predicts that a huge tornado will arrive this Friday and destroy the entire town. Is this the beginning of the end? We shall see. As a meteorologist, this is all impossible and goes against everything we know about science. However, if I see a dang eclipse happening tomorrow evening then I would suggest for all of you to start evacuating fast as possible because I know I will. Goodnight."

"What a bunch of nonsense right girls? Snow is one thing but a tornado? Just a prank caller that got super lucky." Joyce says as she doesn't believe the news report at all.

"I don't know Joyce, if science can't prove why it's snowing right now, then maybe there's something beyond science going on and maybe we should listen to that person."

"Yeah mom if that eclipse happens, I'm getting the hell out of here."

"Oh yeah and where would you go Chloe? I think yall is overreacting to this. I wonder what David will think about this."

"I guess we'll see tomorrow right?"

"Guess so"

More breaking news hit. "THIS IS JUST IN. RACHEL AMBER HAS BEEN FOUND. SHE HAS BEEN FOUND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THERE IS LITTLE DETAILS AT THIS TIME BUT ARRESTS HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE. HER BODY WAS FOUND BURIED AT THE TOWN'S JUNKYARD BY THE TRAIN TRACKS. OUR CONDOLENCES TO HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS. POLICE IS REPORTING THAT AN ANONYMOUS TIP WAS GIVEN TO BLACKWELL ACADEMY'S SECURITY GUARD DAVID MADSEN WHO, USING THE INFORMATION PROVIDED TO HIM, LED POLICE TO THE LOCATION OF THE BODY AND DIRECTLY TO THE SUSPECTS. MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW."

"OH MY GOD CHLOE! THEY FOUND HER! THEY FOUND RACHEL! OH GOD SHES DEAD! I'M SO SORRY CHLOE!"

Chloe and Max try to look their best to look surprised about this news and they put their heads down in sorrow. Chloe still feels devastated about what happened to Rachel but clearly not to a degree her mother expects her to be right now.

"You don't look that sad Chloe, what's wrong?"

"I'm-I'm just lost for words mom. I don't know what to feel."

"Same here. I never met Rachel but I know she was a very good friend to Chloe and I know she was a great person. I'm also shocked that they finally find her."

"I understand then. Poor girl, so young and beautiful. I can't believe it. I wonder who contacted David? It's suspicious that person would know all the details and not be involved in it. I hope they find that person as well, he or she definitely needs some questioning."

Max responds to Joyce. "Maybe it was another victim that survived or escaped from the people responsible that might have been told about Rachel."

"I suppose so but..why David of all people? Why did the person contacted David?"

"I think that person viewed David as a hero and knew he would get the job done. Chloe and I consider David a hero as well."

"Chloe? Considering David a hero? Since when? Chloe's been fighting and calling him names ever since she has known him."

Chloe sighs and rolls her eyes "Mom, I know it hasn't been pretty between us but I just learned today something amazing that he did and how he saved someone who I know. Plus he found Rachel and got the people responsible arrested. He's a hero to me."

"This is the first time I have heard you compliment him ever. I'm glad you are now realizing that he's isn't so bad after all and how truly amazing he is. Maybe we can truly be a family now."

"Maybe."

They finish dinner and begin to watch TV on the main living room waiting for more news to hit. Although Max and Chloe are sitting together on the couch, there's a considerable distance between the two.  _I could have rewind the kiss! Oh god Max, you are so stupid! Nice going time warrior._ Eventually more breaking news appear to hit naming Mr. Jefferson and Nathan Prescott as the prime suspects of Rachel's disappearance and murder, much to the shock of Joyce. They report about the secret bunker and the dark room where they find indisputable evidence connecting them to the murder. Texts are pouring into Max's phone from Blackwell students and her parents expressing shock about the news. Kate also texts Max and asks if Nathan and Mr. Jefferson could be somehow responsible for what happened to her and Max texts Kate back saying there's a probable connection and that she should head to the police station and file a report which Kate agrees to do so. More breaking news and details appear on the TV.

" and...The secret bunker under the barn is owned by the Prescott Foundation police are saying. However, there is no proof to imply or indicate a connection between the rest of the Prescott family and the disappearance and murder of Rachel Amber. Sean Prescott has declined any interviews with us but has agreed to talk to the police tonight for questioning and attempt to bail his son, Nathan Prescott, out of jail, according to the family spokesman. More details to come later..."

 _It's time to go investigate the Prescott's home now while they are distracted._ Max looks at Chloe and gives her a nod that indicates to Chloe that's time to go out and start investigating . Joyce is beginning to head upstairs and go to bed and tells Max to stay over the night if she wants to but she declines to have an excuse for Chloe to go outside at this time. Chloe and Max leave the house en route to the Prescott house to start investigating. It's a quiet and awkward drive for the two of them until they arrive at the Prescott house and park a block away. They notice a police car parked outside the estate as well as the local tv news van.  _Crap! There's too many people around here. I thought they would be gone by now._

"Oh boy Max, look the entire news and police force is outside a suspect's home. What a shocker!"

"We just need to be patient Chloe, they will leave when Sean Prescott gets out of the house. It's not the entire police force silly goose."

"I just hate waiting you know? Can you forward time by any chance?"

"No-I cannot, I can only stop and rewind it."

"That sucks, oh well let's just wait. Just hope the cops or the news people don't find us and starts to question us on why we are here."

"I'm sure they won't, oh look!" Max sees a few people walking out the Prescott's house and opening the gates. It's Sean Prescott and a woman, probably his wife, walking out. The news reporter tries to ask Mr. Prescott some questions but he doesn't budge or acknowledges them. Mr. Prescott and the woman get in the police car and drive away. Max notices that the front gates are now starting to close. Max grabs Chloe's arm then snaps her fingers to stop time.

"C'mon Chloe, it's time. Hold on to me okay? "

Chloe notices that time has been stopped for everybody else except them.

"There are still the news reporters outside you know?"

"Yes but no cops or the Prescotts. Plus we need to get inside as easily as possible. The gates were going to close any second now. Now let's go!"

Chloe obliges and both of them get of the truck of the driver's side door and start walking to the house. Chloe makes hand gestures to the news reporters on the scene and waving her hand across their faces and makes silly faces at them.

"Stop messing around Chloe and hold on to me!"

"Okay okay super Max whatever you say."

They enter the Prescott house holding arms to start the investigation.


	6. The Investigation Begins

**The Investigation Begins**

* * *

**Evening Monday October 7, 2013**

Max and Chloe enters the Prescott's house and force their way inside through the front door. They check out the perimeter and there doesn't seem be anybody else in the house but all the lights are turned on. They walk around for a bit and Chloe comments on how huge the house is and how the Prescotts live in such luxury while living in a shithole town like Arcadia Bay. There are portraits of the Prescotts hanging on the wall, expensive paintings, vases, bookcases, and a huge fireplace in the main living room. Max decides to snap her fingers to resume time now that she is sure that the coast is clear. They look outside from one of the windows and sees that the news van and reporters are starting to leave and drive away to follow the police car to the station. Although up to this point Max hasn't felt fatigue or hasn't gotten a nosebleed,she knows better not to waste her powers when it is not needed so she decides to resume time to move around more freely. Max knows that she has to be careful and stay on alert in case anything happens to her or Chloe because the house might have hidden security cameras or silent alarms installed so she is saving her power until it is absolutely needed.

"Ok Max, where do we start?"

"Sean Prescott's room or office but first let just make sure there's nobody else in the house sleeping or hiding somewhere. We must stick together at all times."

"Gotcha Max. Look at this house, it's huge! No taste whatsoever though hella boring. Boring rich people things all over the place."

"You got that right Chloe. Anyways, we'll start downstairs and see if we find anything interesting. If not, we'll go upstairs."

They search the entire downstairs floor and find no luck on finding anything interesting to them. A huge living room, a huge kitchen, and guest rooms but nothing out of the ordinary. They head up upstairs and find the rooms of Sean Prescott and Nathan as well as two bathrooms and more guest rooms. Chloe tries to open the door of Nathan's room but it has been locked from the inside so they decide to check out Nathan's parents room. They turn the knob and open the door and see a room with a huge bed with its own bathroom to the left. It's very fancy looking, clean, and well kept. They search the entire room looking to see anything particularly interesting or weird but come up with nothing. It just looks like a standard bedroom except more fancier and bigger. There are pictures of the Prescotts with celebrities and politicians on a table. They open the closet and find expensive clothing but they also find some black robes with a weird symbol patched on each of them. The symbol looks like an Illuminati pyramid but with the eye on the bottom of the pyramid. They find nothing else so they exit the bedroom and continue to investigate the upstairs floor until they reach a dead end.

"Well Max,unless you think whatever you're looking for is in Nathan's room, there's nothing else to investigate or look at. We searched the entire house and found nothing really noteworthy outside those creepy robes."

"Since we are already in this deep, I think we should check out Nathan's room. His room at Blackwell did lead us to the right direction last time."

"Do you have the powers to open a locked door?"

"No, but I can find a way to open the door just watch. Let me get something to open it. See if you can open it with your lock picking tools you learned from Frank in the meantime."

"How did you kno-oh wait you're from the future I forgot. I'm still tripping about all of this you know."

Max smiles and proceeds to see if she can find anything to open the door or luckily a key somewhere. She heads downstairs and notices that there is a door that they haven't touch or entered yet. Max opens the door and realizes that it heads downstairs to a basement or something. Max calls Chloe to head downstairs to check it out with her. It's pitch dark down there so Max uses her cell phone light to find the light switch. They notice that it is a decent sized basement but with almost nothing in it. Looks like a small workshop or a garage. They only find a table with a state map of Oregon on the wall and a pegboard full of tools and keys. There's another map but much older on the table of Arcadia Bay and the surrounding area .There are several markers on the map with years labeled next to each of the markers. The symbol they saw on the robes from the bedroom is also printed on the map. Max looks at the keys attached on the pegboard and notices there's about the same amount of keys as there are markers on the map.  _There's something about this map..I must take it._  Max gets a strange vibe from looking at the map and starts to feel like they are being watched somehow.

"Are you okay Max? Do you think you found something of note?"

"Yes, the map. The map has special markers with years next to them...they could lead to other secret places owned by the Prescotts. We need to take the keys over there and the map as they might lead us get to the right direction. Also I'm getting a strange feeling now Chloe and I don't like it one bit. I think we better leave right now."

"Yeah, all of a sudden I'm getting the feeling that something terrible is going to happen. Let's get out of here."

They take the map and keys and make their way out of the Prescott's house. Max stops time and they quickly exit the house and get back to Chloe's truck. As soon as they get in, Max rewinds time as much as she can all the way back when they first got out of the truck while holding on to the map and the keys with Chloe holding on to her.

"Whoa..I saw us moving all over the place and the news van coming back to where it was before we entered the house. Holy shit Max! Your rewind power is insane. I'm still amazed on what just happened."

"Yes, rewinding time is pretty crazy especially the first time I did it. Congrats Chloe, you're the 2nd person ever to officially traveled back in time that I know of."

"Amazeballs! You're really a superhero!"

"No-I'm just Max Caulfield. Anyways, we should head back to your house Chloe. There's nothing else we can do at this time anyways..plus I can't shake the feeling that we are being watched. I believe we got what we came for. Consider this mission a success."

They drive back to Chloe's house and sneak their way inside the home trying to make the least amount of sound they can make. They notice that David is still not home and make their way towards to Chloe's room. They undresses to their pajamas and crash hard on the bed.

**MORNING TUESDAY OCTOBER 8, 2013**

Chloe wakes up to see Max still dead asleep on her bed as she checks out the time. It is 10 in the morning. Max is late for school, but who cares about school when the world is in danger right? She hears Max talk in her sleep saying "Chloe watch out! Oh-no! Chloe-wait". She decides not to wake Max up just yet so she decides to check out the news online and check her emails. She sees mugshots of Nathan Prescott and Mr. Jefferson and multiple local news reports of Rachel's case online. She also checks out an online article about the snow and checks out the article's comment section to see people living in Arcadia Bay discussing the snow. She sees debates and arguments going on between people who believe the phone call and people who refuse to believe it and dismiss it as nonsense. She checks her emails and sees some of her online friends and people from Blackwell checking on her and sending their condolences regarding the death of Rachel Amber. Chloe checks out Rachel Amber's Facebook and sees that it has been flooded with comments and stories about her from her family, friends, and everybody else who knew her. She finds a post from her parents and finds out that Rachel's funeral will take place later this week.

Chloe then starts to look at the map they found at the Prescott's house and does a bit of research on the symbol that is on the map and on the robes they found on the closet. She googles the symbol's description and finds out that there has been sightings reported all over the country and the world but nobody knows why or who is behind them, she only finds crazy theories about them. Chloe turns to look at the sleeping Max, and feeling bored and hungry, decides to wake her up. Chloe goes to Max and moves her arms to wake her up which makes Max open her eyes.

"Oh-Chloe...sorry...I must have dozed off."

"Yes you did Super Max, feeling tired huh?"

"I suppose so, it's weird though. I didn't feel very tired after last night but I guess I was. Must be because of all my time traveling shenanigans."

"Yeah, you even talked in your sleep Max."

"I did?"

"Yes you were like "oh no Chloe! Chloe wait!" pretty weird. What did you dream about?"

"Ugh-I don't even remember right now..it must have been a nightmare."

"I see...well since you obviously won't go to school today let's go to Blue Whales and get a nice breakfast then we can investigate the Prescott's map and uncover their secrets."

"Yeah that sounds like an excellent idea. Lead the way."

"Ooh, leaving me in charge huh? Finally!"

"Yeah Chloe, I can't be in charge all the time. Plus I'm hungry anyways. Oh man I can't believe I crashed so hard. Now let's go."

They both take a shower separately and change into new clothes before heading towards the diner. As they drive through Arcadia Bay, they notice a lot of people on the sidewalks and going into stores buying supplies such as water and toilet paper as if they were hoarding ahead of a big event like a hurricane. _Yes! Some of the people are already starting to prepare for the storm that is going to happen later this week. My plan is working like I wanted to. I'm sure more people will start moving once they see the eclipse this afternoon._ They get to the diner and see Frank's van parked outside which worries Chloe a bit. Max has completely forgot how to deal with Frank in this new timeline however starts to think about it.  _He certainly will be distracted about what happened to Rachel to even bring up the debt. This Frank doesn't know that it was us that uncovered the mystery about what happened to Rachel so I don't expect him to be as nice to us but I don't except him to be mean to us either._

"So what about Frank? I still owe a shitload to him remember?"

"Of course I do Chloe but remember what I told you yesterday? Frank loved Rachel and is most likely devastated right now about hearing what happened to her. Your debt should be the last thing on his mind. It will be alright, I'm sure of it."

"If you say so Max. I still can't believe what you told me about Frank and Rachel. Rachel never told me a damn thing about it-but I think I know why she didn't. She knew how I would react to it. I wouldn't have minded after a while though, as long as Rachel was truly happy. I guess Rachel tricked a lot of people not just me however she still didn't deserve what happened to her and I do miss her a lot."

"Of course she didn't deserve it. She never betrayed you Chloe and wouldn't have left without you. I know that for sure."

"Thanks Max, let's go inside. If we see Frank, I'll just be nice to him and not pick a fight."

"Good idea Chloe. He will probably not be in a happy mood right now but who can blame him?"

They get inside the diner and it is less busier than they thought it would be. They spot Frank sitting on the far left booth with his hands covering his face and looking down with Pompidou by his side and they also see the truckers and the weird lady. Before they sit down for breakfast they decide to talk to Frank for a bit. Chloe decides to speak with Frank.

"Um hey Frank."

"What do you want Chloe?" Frank doesn't look at Chloe in the eyes and speaks to her with a low sad tone of voice.

"Listen Frank, I know that you cared so much for Rachel and you loved her like I did. I know how you feel right now."

"She was my lioness and they took her away from me. Those motherfuckers killed my Rachel. I would have killed them by now if they weren't secured by the police."

"I know Frank, I would love to get my revenge on them. I'm so sorry for your loss . If you need someone to talk to we're here for you."

"Hey Chloe, I know things weren't always good between us but I do know that Rachel did care about you and that you were such a great friend to her. I'm sorry for your loss as well. Now if you don't mind, I need some alone time."

"Sure thing Frank. Um text me if you need anything"

They leave Frank and sit on their booth while waiting for Joyce to attend them. Max reminds Chloe that this is exactly the place and day where Max first told her that she has time travel powers in the original timeline. Joyce arrives to take their order and Max orders a Belgian waffle and Chloe orders pancakes and eggs.

"It must be insane for you Max. This is the exact day and place where you first told me, or well another me in a different universe, that you can rewind time."

"Yeah, it's pretty trippy Chloe however I'm already pretty used to all these alternative realities."

"Do you really believe that people will leave the town by Friday?"

"As soon as they see the eclipse I'm sure they will. We need to convince everybody to leave the town especially our friends and people we care about by Friday. Anybody who chooses to stay will do it at their own will, we can't force everybody to leave. However, we first need to investigate that map we found last night."

"I actually brought the map and the keys." Chloe lays the map out and the keys for them to examine them. Max focus on the map and starts to notice something familiar.

"Found something Max?"

"Maybe, one of the markers on the map is very familiar. I know what it is! It's the Prescott Barn where the dark room was found. These markers on the map must be locations of other secret property that the Prescotts own. The keys here are used, or were used, to enter the other locations I bet."

"There's like 7 markers on this map and we have 5 keys with us...you might be up to something."

"Give me the keys Chloe and let me see if there's any way I can tell which key goes to each location".

Max examines the keys and notices that there is a special indicator on each one, a small number from 1-7 but is missing #3 and #5. Max sees no single numbers on the map but only years.  _Could the keys be numbered in the order the places on the map were built? Or numbered from left to right as they are found on the map? Well, some of the keys look older and rustier than the other ones. The #1 key is definitely the oldest one here. Okay we are missing two keys here. One of them has got to be the barn where the dark room is at. The barn is marked here on the map with the year 1915 next to it which is the third oldest date on the map..._

"I got it! Every marked location on the map has a key that belongs to it except the Prescott Barn and this one." Max points to that marker that seems to be located deep inside the woods outside the town. It is the 5th oldest date on the map, with the year 1969 labeled right next to it.

"Somebody out here has the key to that location...which means there might be something out there. We need to check it out. I'll look up the coordinates on my phone so the GPS can help us find it and track it."

"This is getting pretty interesting Max. Let's head out there while the sun is still up. The woods out here kinda freak me out..so I wouldn't want to go out there at night."

They finished eating and head out to the site using the GPS and the map. As soon as they enter the woods, Max gets a feeling that something bad is going to happen. Of course, the woods is where the crazy weather shit happened which caused her to go to the hospital. They eventually reach a dead end where the road ends and they realize they must continue by foot and according to their GPS, the site is still miles away. However, they soon notice that the GPS starts to lose connection and stops tracking them.

"Dammit! There's no signal here. We have to walk now and follow an old ass map."

"It might old but I doubt much has changed. I'm sure we'll be fine and besides, I stared at my phone for a long time on the way here and I know that we need to walk about 6 miles east from here. We just need to reach a creek or a stream as there is one just right next to the marked location. Lets go Chloe but first..."

Max takes out her camera and takes a selfie and gives the photo to Chloe.

"Another selfie? Seriously?"

"Yup! I'm using these as checkpoints so if I ever need to return to this specific day and time, I can do so. Keep this one safe for me okay? Make sure it doesn't get lost."

Chloe puts the picture on her back pocket and then remembers that she forgot Max's journal at home which is something else she was told to keep around and not lose.

"Are you sure you can trust me with keeping things around? I forgot your journal at home...I know you told me to have it with me if something happens to you."

"Well, let's just hope we don't need the journal anymore. It'll be fine I'm sure of it."

They walk for miles, taking rests when they needed to, trying to reach the location. Chloe gets a bit frustrated and gets tired of walking but Max is completely determined to reach their destination. Max walks a bit further while Chloe rests a bit and she notices a creek from a distance about a mile away. Max encourages Chloe to walk just a bit more until they reach the creek which Chloe eventually obliges. Once they reach the creek, they notice something familiar, that Illuminati type symbol on one the trees. They walk over the creek and notice that there is an abandoned cabin as well as a pile of wood just beside it. The cabin also has that same symbol painted on the left side. Although it looks abandoned, at the same time it looks like it has been well kept and preserved. Max attempts to open the door but of course it's locked. Chloe attempts using the keys she has but none of them open the door. Chloe decides to use a piece of wood to break open the window to get in.

They get in and start looking around inside but find nothing except more of the symbols painted all over the wall and ceiling as well as graffiti. They find another locked door inside which they managed to break open and forcing themselves inside. They use their cell phone's light to brighten up the room and they begin to see strange things. There's a huge flag of the symbol on the wall as well as multiple pentagrams and candles on the floor. There's a small desk on the left side of the room containing skulls and more candles.

"Okay, this is pretty weird. This looks like a Satanic worship ritual room. The Prescotts must be part of a cult or something weird like that", Max says.

They search the desk and find a folder with pictures containing horrifying images of animal sacrifices and even human sacrifices. One of the pictures they find is a group picture of the cult or group that includes Sean Prescott and other powerful people including the town's mayor and the governor of Oregon. They find old newspaper articles as well as books about Satanism and witchcraft written in English and various languages.

"What the fuck is going on here? That's the Mayor of Arcadia Bay and...the governor of Oregon...they are all apart of this freaky shit. I read about conspiracy theories before and I always thought they were not true but now..,I'm really starting to freak out about all of this."

"I know Chloe, I can't believe such powerful people are into this kind of scary shit. I'm sure this Illuminati like cult is all over the country and maybe all over the world, not just Oregon. We need to confront Sean Prescott and make him talk about what's the meaning of all of this."

"Max, this is pretty scary shit but what does this have to do with the tornado?"

"I'm not exactly sure if there is a connection but I just have this feeling and hunch that this is all somehow related. Take pictures of this room and lets get out of here. Stay close to me okay?"

They quickly exit the room and cabin together as Max rewinds time to the point of when they first entered so they can leave no trace of them breaking in.

"Um-Max?" Chloe's voice has suddenly turn to a frightened tone.

"Yes-Chloe-oh shit."

They both notice that they are surrounded by hooded men and women wearing robes that displays the Illuminati-type symbol they been seeing around lately. There is about 15 or 20 of them staring right at them and they begin to approach Max and Chloe. Some of them are carrying weapons such as axes and blades.

Max puts her hands up and begins to plead. "Look, we mean no harm and we didn't see anything we swear." They do not respond back and just continue to walk towards them.

Chloe takes out her gun and points it towards them to keep them at bay. However, they only stop for a few seconds then they resume to move towards them but now in a faster pace.

"Max! Use your powers!"

"Right! Hold on to me."

Chloe grabs Max's arm and Max rewinds time all the way back as much as she can but the group are still present and surrounding them. Max has only managed to push them back using the rewind.

"What's wrong Max?"

"I don't know-I can rewind but they are still here anyways, I can only push them back a bit. I'm going to use my time stop."

Max snaps her fingers to stop time which completely stops the cultists on their tracks.

"Okay, my time stop works on them. Now lets run and get the hell out of here!"

They begin to run as much as possible holding hands all the way back to Chloe's truck which is miles away. However, both of them are already tried from the walk they had to do earlier. They look back and see that the cultists are still stopped where they were and are not chasing them. They continue to run away however Max is starting to feel more tired each second that passes by which causes her to drop her knees to catch a break and breathe to try to stay relaxed. Max quickly realizes that her time stop effect has worn off and looks back and see that group are now looking at them and they begin to move but they are not running towards them, they are flying towards them in great speed.

"Oh what the fuck! What the fuck are these people! They...are flying...quick Max...you have to use your powers again."

Max snaps her fingers to stop time and does so however only for a brief second then time resumes itself.

Max starts to get tired and is losing her energy fast.

"I can't Chloe! My power...is diminishing...I can only stop time for a few seconds..I'm probably too weak and tired to use it properly."

"What about your rewind?"

Max attempts a rewind and it works but it only sets the chasers back a bit.

"It's not helping Chloe. I can try again and again to push them back but it doesn't help much. We just need to make a run for it. I need to conserve my remaining power."

They notice that the cultists are gaining on them and Chloe shoots a warning shot at them which doesn't scare them away at all. They continue to run as fast as they possibly can but they are quickly losing speed and energy. Chloe trips on a rock and falls down which causes Max to rewind a bit to warn Chloe about the rock. Chloe thanks Max and she takes another shot at the chasers again trying to scare them off but they continue chasing them.

"Fuck! They are just behind us and the truck is still miles away. What the fuck are we going to do?"

"I'll have to use my rewind again and again as much as I can".

Max holding hands with Chloe, rewinds time and time again to create a distance between them and the chasers but is she is starting to feel even more weaker every time she uses it.

"I can't-I can't keep going on any longer Chloe. I can't run anymore or use my powers. Go on without me Chloe."

Max falls down and begins to lose conscious as Chloe notices and rushes to Max to help her out.

"C'mon Max!" Chloe tries to pull Max back up.

The hooded men and women has caught up to them and has them surrounded again. Chloe once again points her gun in all directions trying to keep them away but she is outnumbered and they are not backing off. Chloe attempts to shoot one of them but the gun fails to shoot which makes Chloe take out a knife in frustration.

"Leave us alone you freaks!"

One of them gets behind Chloe and he grabs her by the neck but Chloe fights back as much and wrestles with him but she gets overwhelmed quickly and gets knocked out by a punch.

"No! CHLOE! LEAVE HER ALONE!"

Max gets up, enraged, and tightens her fists as she sees more of them surrounding Chloe and ambushing her.

"I SAID LEAVE HER ALONE!"

Max extends her right hand towards the direction of the group of Chloe's attackers and a force of overwhelming power comes out of Max's hand that pushes them far away from Chloe. The other cultists stand still and look totally surprised to see what just happened. Max looks at her hands and arms and sees that she is covered by a blue aura.  _What is this?_ She turns around and extends her right hand again towards some of the men and unleashes a force that sends them flying with such power and speed. She then turns to her left and sees two of the men trying to attack her and she once again uses her power to push them back. She focuses on one of them and freezes him on the spot then begins to choke him before sending him flying out of her sight. The rest of the men are shocked and begin to escape from Max. She pulls them towards her using her left hand then pushes them away from her with great force using her right hand.  _Seeing Chloe get hurt again...must have activated these new powers..what are these powers? What is this aura? It's like I can apply my time stop and my rewind power onto others but used them as attacks now._ Max sees that she has cleared and defeated everybody so she snaps her fingers to stop time and rushes to Chloe's aid but is stopped by a man's voice.

"That's enough."

Max is startled and turns around and sees a man who is also wearing a hooded robe but he is wearing a different type of robe indicating that he is a leader of the group. Whoever he is, he is not affected by Max's time stop.

"What? No way.."

Max extends her right hand ready to attack the man however before she her eyes can react he appears right in front of her and grabs her right wrist. Max, completely shocked,looks at the hooded man's eyes and face and realizes that he's Nathan's father, Sean Prescott. She is somehow immobilized and cannot resist or fight back. He extends his right hand and points towards Max's face using his index and middle finger.

"So...it's you huh?"

"W-what?..."

Max then sees a white flash and blacks out and collapses to Sean Prescott's arms.

 


	7. Truth, Lies, or Manipulation?

**Truth, Lies, or Manipulation?**

* * *

 

Max wakes up to see nothing but darkness. She feels like she is tied to a chair with her hands and feet tied up just like back in the dark room however this time she feels like she's not alone.  _Oh shit not again._

"Chloe.. Chloe are you here?"

A man's voice is suddenly heard from the darkness.

"She is but is she is not awake right now."

The lights turned on and she notices she's in an empty room with Chloe also tied up to a chair on the opposite side of her with Sean Prescott standing besides her. Max doesn't see anybody else in the room but feels like there are others watching them.

"You're...You're Sean Prescott..Nathan's father...right?"

"Yes, Max Caulfield, I am Sean Prescott."

"How do you know who I am?"

"I can ask you the same question can't I Max?"

"What's the meaning of all of this? Who...what are you guys?"

Sean Prescott begins to chuckle. "Excellent questions Max! But first, let me ask you a few questions such as...why were two punk teenagers such as you two wondering around in those part of the woods?"

"Um...we have heard weird things from school about scary things that they see happen in the woods and decided to check it out. We're into paranormal stuff."

"Bullshit Max. I found one of my old family maps and some of my keys on your friends possession. How did you obtained them?"

"We found it...somewhere..."

Sean Prescott raises his voice and becomes irritated. "Stop lying to me Max! I know who you are and I know what you are! I watched you back there, you were rewinding time and stopping time to get away from us. You have the power of time travel plus much more it seems! You're the one who called the weather station and the one who called the security guard that got my son and his teacher arrested! The pay phone was traced by the police and your friends truck was spotted around the time of the calls near the phone."

"No...that's not true at all nobody has those kind of powers..."

"STOP LYING MAX. I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! YOU'RE THE TIME TRAVELING BRAT THAT WE WERE WARNED ABOUT. NOW TELL ME THE TRUTH OR WE WILL KILL YOUR PRECIOUS GIRLFRIEND RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF YOU." Mr. Prescott takes out a knife and points it to Chloe.

"NO! PLEASE DON'T!"

"Then you better stop telling me lies Max. We don't have time for your bullshit. Now answer my questions truthfully."

"Okay...okay...just please don't hurt her."

Sean Prescott withdraws his knife.

"Alright, we won't hurt her as long as you corporate with us. Now let's start over shall we? It's nice to meet you Max...we knew someone like you was going to show up eventually...we didn't know who, what, when or where but your arrival was expected. You are more dangerous and powerful than we thought you were going to be. It's quite amazing that such power will come from somebody from the likes of you."

"How-how did you know I was coming?"

"I can't answer that question now Max, the answer is beyond your comprehension. You're not ready to handle that information just yet. I'm not done with asking you questions though. How long have you had this power? Are you from the future or from the past?"

"Ok..umm...about a week and a half ago. Both actually."

"Please describe your powers and describe how you are able to use and control them. Don't hold back on the details."

"I can rewind time and stop time using my hands so I must have control of my hands in order to use them. There's a limitation on how far I can go back in time and a limit on how long I can stop time for. I am not affected by my powers so I retain all information and current feelings. Anything that I physically touch while I use my powers are also left unaffected. If I am drugged, injured, or feel too weak I'm not able to use the powers.

"I see... well tell us exactly how you knew that my son and Jefferson were the ones behind the murder of that missing girl."

"Chloe and I were investigating the case using information we obtained from investigating Nathan and clues from Chloe's stepfather who was also investigating the case. We thought that Nathan was the only one responsible for the murder but my teacher, Mr. Jefferson, was the true mastermind. Jefferson managed to trick us and he killed my friend in front on my eyes and kidnapped me. Jefferson told me about his weird fetish he had with drugging and kidnapping girls for his photo shoots and he confessed that it was them who killed Rachel. I managed to escape and used my powers to go back in time to get him arrested and save Chloe."

"Quite the adventure you had Max. What about the tornado? Tell us more about that...we're very curious about that."

"I saw a vision of a huge tornado destroying the town just before I obtained the power of time travel. I didn't know it would actually happen until Friday. It will completely destroy Arcadia Bay and everything around it. That's just the beginning of it though. The entire world will be affected by earthquakes,tsunamis, hurricanes and other disastrous events."

"Our worst fears has been realized...so you came from the future to save your friend's life and warn everybody about what is going to happen?"

"Yes and find out what's causing all of that to happen in the first place."

"So I see...You think I have something to do with it? Of course! That explains it doesn't it?...you think I  or my family is behind on what is going to happen! That's why you were out in the woods playing detective. I'm afraid that you're greatly mistaken Max but thanks to your theory, it has led you right to us. But there is something I don't understand..you said your power have limits yet you managed to time travel back an entire week?"

"I can also time travel through photos taken by focusing on them. I have to be on the photo in order to use them to time travel. I used a photo that I took at the beginning of the week to go back to the start of everything so I can save my friends and the town."

"That's..pretty interesting Max. Very interesting...We see great potential in you. If I were you, I definitely would be using my powers to save the ones I love the most. You'll be a great asset to us."

"Ok..well..Who-what are you guys? Why all the satanic shit? Why are you a part of this?"

"I don't have much time to answer all your questions Max but I guess I need to give you a quick rundown. I'm part of the elites, the group of people who control the entire world, you can call us the Illuminati or New World Order or some other names conspiracy theorists call us. We have ruled this planet for generations under the name of Lucifer, the true deity who have provided us with great power and knowledge. We are in direct control of the banks, the world's military, and the entire population. There's nobody above us in this world Max, every politician and celebrity is under our command whether they know it or not. Conspiracy theorists always view us as rich politicians or bankers but there's way more to it than just money. You see Max, a good amount of us are born or are blessed with supernatural abilities. Some of us can predict the future, run faster than a car, read minds, teleport instantly anywhere, and even control the weather. I was blessed with the power to nullify and resist others special abilities thus making me one of the most powerful in the entire order.  _So that explains how he was able to counter my time stop and immobilize me. They can control the weather too? Oh shit._ If you thought that you were the only one out there that has super powers you are wrong Max but I must admit that your powers ranks up into the higher tiers. We are always on the look out for new members to recruit to help our cause. Lucifer has definitely blessed you Max, giving you the power of time, and he has apparently brought you to us and with good timing! My bosses are quite interested on you Max because you see, we have tried for decades to control time...to go back in the past and clean some of the mess caused by the ones before us. We have had very little success in trying to control time. There has been countless experiments we have conducted and new theories we have come up with but we haven't had a chance to try them out...until now. We believe that combining our theories and past success with your powers, we can achieve what we're looking for. You're going to help us Max, we need it, for the progress of humanity and a well secured future."

Max is in complete disbelief on what she was just told and tries to digest all the information that was just given to her.

"Why should I believe anything you say? You're a bunch of freaks worshiping the devil and sacrificing humans and animals. I'm not going to help you!"

"C'mon Max, you know I'm telling you the truth. Deep inside you know this is all true. How else could I have stopped you when you stopped time? You simply don't understand us Max but don't worry, I'm sure you will realize in time that we're not the bad guys. If you think that we're evil...you haven't seen true evil at all. There is much out there Max, a lot you can't possibly imagine. I haven't even scratched the surface yet and I wish I can tell you more but I don't have anymore time to chit-chat. They're going to take you to conduct some of the experiments any minute now. Be patient though, soon enough you will learn the truth and meaning of all of this...most in our order doesn't even know the real truth."

"What if I refuse to help?"

"You really don't have a choice Max but I suppose if you refuse we will kill your friend right now. She is of no use to us anyways. We can do this the easy way or the hard way, it's up to you Max."

"You sick bastards...did Nathan know who you really are?"

"He didn't have a clue Max. He's a complete failure and a shame to the Prescott name though. I'm going to let him rot in prison...that will be his fate."

"You're evil...all of you are evil. I'm sure you are the ones responsible for the shit that is going to happen!"

"You don't know what you're talking about Max. There are other forces out there that are probably influencing the future...look... I don't expect you to understand us and our motives until later but you're going to have to trust me and do what you are told to do. Now I must leave for a bit but I will return shortly." Mr. Prescott leaves the room and Max is left alone with Chloe.

Max looks at Chloe still tied up and passed out.  _What would Chloe do in this situation? What would she say? What would anybody do in this situation? These people are nuts but they are extremely powerful. This is not a situation I can escape from and I don't seem have any other option right now. I must corporate with them... but what's going to happen with me? I must pull through, I don't want to see Chloe die in front on my eyes again. I can always go back in time using a photo. I must do what they say until I get a chance go to escape. This world is fucking insane._ Mr. Prescott re-enters the room.

"Well Max? You're ready to help us?"

"Okay...I will...but please don't hurt Chloe. Just let her go, she hasn't done anything wrong."

"I suppose we can do that Max. We'll just wipe her memory of what she saw today and sent her home."

Mr. Prescott unties Max from the chair and grabs her by the arm to walk her to another room. The hall is extremely bright and the walls and floor are very white. They enter a room where she gets instructed to wait for a brief minute and there she finds her backpack and her belongings including her camera and cell phone.  _Dammit! I should have kept my selfies and the butterfly picture with me and not given them to Chloe. I need them right now dammit. Well, they would have probably destroyed them once they realized that I could use them to escape so I think those pictures are safe with Chloe for now._ A group of men including Sean Prescott enters the room, some of them wearing lab coats and some of them wearing business suits. All of them are around their 30's and 40's and express almost no emotion. One of them opens a suitcase that has a ring with multiple colored gem stones and several photographs and he proceeds to put the ring on Max's right hand ring finger.

"What's this?"

"We call it 'The Ring of Time', a device that we have experimented on and developed throughout the years. Our top scientists and most brilliant minds have managed to successfully sent some of our subjects forward in time by a few minutes. We have also had some success with going back in time using people with teleportation powers. However, in all these cases the subjects don't survive much afterwards so we haven't been able to properly study them. It seems like traveling through time has too much effect on the human body but you seem to be different from them. The ring is designed for those with teleportation powers but we believe that we found a workaround based on what you told us. Holding the red stone will make you time travel, the blue stone will forward time, and the green stone will return you to this location and time. It's simple to use isn't it? Okay time for our first experiment! We will start small Max."

Sean Prescott hands her one of the photos, a photo of a building, probably a school or an office.

"I can only use photos of myself to travel back in time though. I'm not in this one at all so I won't be able to use it."

"Just try to focus on it while holding the red stone on the ring and see what happens."

"What is this photo of?"

"You will find out shortly and once you do, you will know what to do . Once again, hold the green stone to return to us once you're done and Max don't try anything funny."

Max stares at the picture long enough to feel the effects and hears voices and goes back in time using the photo.

Max gets up and sees grass and people talking to each other and staring at her.

"Whoa. Where am I? _When_ am I?"

She looks around and sees that she's in front of a high school but is unable to tell the name of it since her vision is impaired right now.  _This isn't Blackwell for sure and the students...they look like they are dressed in 90's style clothing. What is this place?_

Max sees a female student sitting by herself and decides to approach her for information. The girl is also looking and staring at Max as she is walking towards her.

"Hello...you seem lost...is there anything I can help you with? You don't look like you go to this school."

"No...I don't...um...can you give me today's date?"

"Um yeah it's April 20."

"Oh...um what year?"

"Umm...1999? Are you okay?"

"Yeah...I'm fine..just bit lost and confused. What's your name?"

"My name is Rachel and yours?"

"My name is Max."

"Okay Max nice to meet you. It's almost time for my next class and I need to leave but I hope you find your way."

Rachel begins to walk away towards the school's main entrance when Max starts to get her full vision back and reads the school's name. Columbine High School.  _Oh shit! She said April 20, 1999. Columbine High School. They send me here? Holy shit. I can..I can stop the shooting by warning everybody here. Her name was Rachel...oh my god...she's Rachel Scott! I remember we had a school presentation about her called Rachel's Challenge. I must save her and stopped the shooters. Damn what time is it?_ Max checks her phone but is unable to find the time and date on it as there is no service available.  _Of course my phone won't work here in this time period. I know why I'm here. They sent me here to stopped the shooters and re-write history but why? What do they gain by doing that? I can save these people using my powers but why do they care? Well, I'm going to do the right thing I suppose._

Max runs up to Rachel Scott and starts yelling out her name which catches the attention of Rachel.

"Wait hold on Rachel. Can you give me the time?"

Rachel checks her watch. "It's 9:45 and sorry I can't talk anymore, I'm going to be late for class. Maybe you should get checked by the school's nurse or something. Bye." Rachel walks away and enters the main entrance of the school.  _9:45...I think I have about a_ _hour before the shooting begins. I need to...do something...should I warn the principal?..should I just call the police?...or do I take care of this all by myself?_

Max beings to walk away from the main entrance of the school and starts to plan things out.

**CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 8**

**WARNING: NEXT CHAPTER MAX WILL INTERACT WITH REAL LIFE (DECEASED) PEOPLE. IF SUCH IDEA OFFENDS YOU PLEASE SKIP TO CHAPTER 9. There will be a brief overview.**


	8. The Right Person at the Right Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: IF YOU ARE OFFENDED OF THE IDEA OF FICTIONAL CHARACTERS INTERACTING WITH NON-FICTIONAL HISTORICAL CHARACTERS PLEASE DO NOT PROCEED. I MEAN NO DISRESPECT TO ANYBODY INVOLVED OR ANYBODY EFFECTED BY THESE EVENTS. I WAS GOING TO RE-WRITE THIS CHAPTER DUE TO RECENT EVENTS BUT I THINK THIS CHAPTER IS IMPORTANT TO THE STORY. PLEASE SKIP THIS CHAPTER IF YOU ARE OFFENDED BY THE IDEA OF MAX INTERVENING IN REAL LIFE EVENTS. THANK YOU!

**The Right Person at the Right Time**

* * *

 

**TUESDAY APRIL 20, 1999**

Max sits on the bench where Rachel Scott was sitting to take a breather and observe her surroundings. She sees some students rushing to class and some students putting their cigarettes out before entering the school. She observes her hands and inspects the time ring given to her and takes a deep breath. She begins to reflect on what she and Chloe just experienced and her current situation.  _I'm in the year 1999. There's a four-year old other me running around in Arcadia Bay right now. I'm here from the future to stop a school shooting from ever happening. I was sent here by the Illuminati-I guess-to stop this from ever happening. Wouldn't this cause a time paradox? What do they hope to accomplish by sending me here? They told me they would like to experiment with my powers...for what purpose? They sacrifice humans and animals and control the world yet they care so much about a school shooting? This time ring they gave me-they designed it and they experimented on people who died after using it. I hope that isn't my fate either, I can't imagine what those poor people felt and experienced. What kind of world is this? Why is this all happening to me? I was just a hipster teenager studying photography, and now, I'm a time travelling secret agent or something like that. I wish this was just all a dream but it's so damn real. What is the meaning of all of this?_

Max hears the school bell ring.

_Chill Max. If you think more and more about this you might go insane. Mr. Prescott said "don't try anything funny", what could he mean by that? I am no longer captured by them... I'm technically free now right? I could just wait 14 years then warn my other self in this timeline about everything or write a letter to myself and have it mailed and delivered 14 years later to myself! Just like in Back to the Future! Would this timeline's Max believe me at all? Time Traveling is such a mindfuck I swear. No! I must follow their instructions. The ring will bring me back to them, the present, and most importantly, Chloe. I know I will turn mad and insane if I wait that long in this other timeline. C'mon Max, you must stay strong! Everything will be alright! Chloe would say that if she were here. You have these powers Max and were sent here to do the right thing. I don't understand why or the true purpose of all of this but if it means saving the lives of people, I'm all for it. Now, I need to make sure my powers work in this timeline before I try to interfere in today's events._

Max extends her arms to rewind time and does so successfully as usual.  _Okay. Good. Now...when Chloe and I were fighting off those freaks and when I saw Chloe get knocked out...I gain some new powers. I turned into a Jedi with force powers it seems. I wonder if I retained those powers?_ Max sees a paper ball on the ground about 10 feet away from her and tries to pull it towards her by focusing on it and using her hands. Max checks her surroundings and notices that nobody is watching her and successfully pulls the paper ball towards her with such great speed and force. Max then tries to blow the paper away from her and does so successfully as well which sends the paper ball flying away.  _Awesome! Max...you're a Jedi Master now!_ Max tries out her "Jedi" powers on other objects, mostly trash, around her and objects in the distance.

_Wowser! I can pull, push, levitate, and move any objects, even from a distance, with just the palm of my hands without me even touching them! Holy Shit! Watching Chloe get hurt really gives me a lot of power! I will use these powers to do the right thing! Now..how do I deal with the shooters? Warning the police is very risky. They might not believe me and even if they do, a shoot out might still happen which may cause the deaths of people which defeats any purpose of this. I don't see it in any other way, I need to take care of them myself. I need to be cautious though, they are fully armed and dangerous and even though I have the power of time and now The Force, a well placed bullet will definitely end me. I have to kill them, there's no other option. Whoa Max. Holy shit. Where did the hell did that thought came from? You just thought that so casually. But I-I don't have a choice here though, for the safety of others and myself, I need to stop time and kill them before they can commit their mass murder spree. Oh god, why me? No-stop it Max! Keep it together! You're going to do the right thing. You are going to save the lives of several people today!_

Max hears the school bell ring which alerts her that lunch is almost here and the shooting is just minutes away. Thanks to a documentary that she saw and the Rachel's Challenge Presentation at her old high school, Max recalls a lot of key details about the shooting. She knows that pipe bombs planted on the school's cafeteria but they do not detonate. She knows that Rachel Scott and her friend are the first victims of the shooting and one of the first things that happens is that one of the shooters throws a pipe bomb that partially detonates. Max gets up from the bench and begins to walks to the main entrance of the school watching out for Rachel Scott. Rachel walks out of the school's entrance with her friend and notices Max and walks towards her.

"Hello Max, you're still here? Are you waiting for somebody?"

"Yes, actually I am waiting for somebody. Listen Rachel, this is going to sound odd coming from a complete stranger like myself but please trust and listen to me when I say this. You are a wonderful, kind, and an amazing beautiful person. Your kindness and compassion will one day impact the rest of the world. You have great potential Rachel, follow your dreams and beliefs, you have a great life ahead of you. Never forget about that. "

Rachel blushes and smiles at Max. "Oh my god Max, that's so sweet of you to say. I don't know what to say to you...have we ever met before? I was actually having a bit of a bad day today, you just made my day Max."

"No, we haven't met before, but I've heard a lot of good things about you Rachel. You deserve to hear that and much more."

"Well thank you so much Max for your kind words. Do you want to sit with us for lunch?"

"I would love to Rachel but I need to take care of something important first so I actually have to go now. Before I leave though, would you mind me taking a picture of yourself? I'm studying photography and I just love to take pictures and selfies!"

"Sure Max! As long as I keep the picture!  _Selfies?_  What are those exactly?"

"Alright then, you have a deal! Oh yeah,  _Selfies_...I like to call self-portraits "selfies"...I know I'm weird."

Max takes out her camera and takes a picture of Rachel smiling then hands the photo over to Rachel.

"Thank you Max! Great shot I must say. I think I'm going to use the word selfies from now on."

"You're welcome Rachel. I have to go now..remember what I told you. Look me up or my friend Kate Marsh if we don't see each other soon."

"Kate Marsh? Okay I will remember that name! I'm sure I'll see you around soon Max!"

Max knows that shooting is bound to start any minute now and rushes out from the main entrance and towards the student's parking lot. She sees the shooters, Eric and Dylan, standing next to their cars watching the cafeteria waiting for their bombs to explode. After just twenty seconds or so they leave their position and they start walking towards the school. Max subtly chases behind them and starts to feel anxious.  _Max...you can do this. It's time to be an Everyday Hero again._  Max takes a deep breath and closes her eyes for a good second then sees one of the shooters reaching out for a pipe bomb to throw.  _It's time._ Max snaps her fingers to stop time for everybody else except for herself and the shooters.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

Dylan and Eric turns around and sees Max, covered in a blue aura, pointing at them. They both look around and see everybody else is frozen except them and Max.

"What the fuck is going on here? What the fuck is this?" The duo begin to speak to each other, wondering what is happening around them and who Max is.

"You two were about to commit one of the worst school shootings in history. I'm here to stop you two."

"Who the fuck are you bitch? How the fuck did you know about our plan?"

"My name is Max Caulfield. I was sent here from the future to stop you guys Your actions today will inspire others to commit the same acts! Not anymore though!"

"What the fuck? Lets kill this bitch."

Dylan and Eric try to shoot Max but they are disarmed quickly by one quick wave of Max's right hand. They try to reach for their pipe bombs but Max starts to immobilize them and pushes them back to a wall with her powers. Max slowly walks towards them as they try to get back on their feet to fight back.

"You know... you guys didn't have to do this. It didn't had to come to this. There was help out there. Life isn't fair but there's no need to kill people for having shitty lives. There were better ways to handle both of your situations. I'm sorry it has to end this way...but you won't be hurting anyone anymore. "

Dylan spits at Max. "Fuck you whore"

Eric also spits at Max. "You don't know shit about us! Fuck you!"

They attempt to ambush Max but she freezes them again by applying a time stop attack on them. She then levitates both of the shooters and starts choking them. They reach for their throats and try to gasp for air but it's no use, Max kills both of them. She watches both of their lifeless bodies hit the ground and is stunned in disbelief.

_I actually killed them. I can't believe I actually killed them! What the fuck came over me? It's like...somebody else took over my body. These new powers...has brought me to new levels and has made me commit acts that I'd never imagined myself they really deserve to die like that? I did a good thing...right? I saved thirteen lives today. C'mon Max, you're a hero. I better go back to the present before I freak out!_

Max snaps her fingers to resume time and uses the ring to quickly return back to the present timeline. She instantly appears before Mr. Prescott and some of the other members of the order. The Columbine photo that Max used to time jump disappears into thin air.

"Max! You're back..and in one piece! How do you feel? How was the time trip?" Sean Prescott helps Max get up.

"I... killed them... They are dead... I stopped them from shooting Rachel Scott and the other victims. That's what you wanted me to do right?"

"You are correct Max...that was your main objective. Good job!" Mr. Prescott smiles and claps his hands for a moment.

"Why did you guys sent me back to that event?"

"We are simply experimenting how we can use your powers and researching the outcome of your actions. That was just one of the many events that were pre-selected as a test for you to see what use you may have for us. How do you feel?"

"I-I feel very strange right now. I never imagined that I would kill another human being let alone two."

"I understand how you feel right now. I'm sure before today that you would never intentionally hurt a fly yet you just murdered two school shooters. You did the right thing though Max. You saved so many lives today. We salute you."

"Yes, I saved several lives and I feel great about that. I think. But didn't I cause a time paradox by doing what I did?"

"Not at all Max, it doesn't seem like you caused one and that's very good news to us. You just created a new timeline where the Columbine Massacre was stopped before it happened. Everything else about it still exists though, the planning of it, the bombs that failed to detonate, and the shooters themselves. We are theorizing that if something related to the event is left intact,such as evidence, a time paradox is avoided. It also seems like saving the lives of those people didn't have much effect on the space-time continuum either. Don't stress over it Max, I was sure you would've been used to the complexity of time travel by now."

"I guess you're right about that Mr. Prescott. Wait a second. Where's my friend Chloe?"

"She's still in the room and passed out. We were about to wipe her mind of what she saw today then she would be let go."

"Can I please see her?"

"No, you cannot see her at this time. It's time for our next experiment."

"I need to know what's the true purpose of all of this time travel experiments. What do you hope to accomplish by changing the past?"

"Shh Max, we will give you the answers to your questions later on. My bosses want to see you more in action right now...they are quite pleased of what they have seen so far."

Max is frustrated but knows this is not the right time to make them angry or fight her way out to get out of wherever she is. She needs to know more information about these group of people and the true purpose of these time traveling experiments. She has no choice but to do their bidding for the time being.

"Ok...What's next then?"

"Your next time assignment will be very similar to the last one. I'm sure you will know what to do this time as well shortly after you arrive."

Mr. Prescott hands over Max another picture from the briefcase. Max inspects the picture and notices that it's a picture of another building that looks like a dorm building or an apartment complex.

"What is this place? Looks like an apartment building or another school."

"You'll figure it out. Don't worry about it. Go on now."

Max holds on to the ring and focuses on the photo to time jump into the photo. She opens her eyes and see she's in front of the building that's on the photo. It is day time, probably early morning, and sees people staring at her. Max looks around and inspects her surroundings.  _This looks like a university,but these people are dressed in more modern clothing. Where exactly am I? When? I need to walk around or find somebody for information. I wish they would tell more about where I'm going before I time hop._ Max begins to walk around and explore this place. She eventually finds a flyer on the ground and picks it up hoping to have useful information.  _Join us every Thursday at 6pm for the Creative Photography club at Virginia Tech! Virginia Tech? Holy Shit they sent me here?_ Max drops the flyer and rushes back to the building on the photo. She sees a sign just outside the building that reads "West Ambler Johnston Hall". _Holy shit this is Virginia Tech...this must be the day of the shooting. I need to confirm the date...I need to find someone._ Before she walks any further to find somebody for information, she notices a very familiar looking man walking towards the building. He is an Asian looking man walking into the main entrance of the residence building.

_Holy shit he's the shooter! I don't know much about this shooting but I do know that he kills two people here then returns to kill the rest of the victims later on a separate building on campus. I'm sure his last name is Cho. I better follow him and stop him before he hurts anyone._ Max runs and enters the building after the man who is walking upstairs with his hand on his pocket. Max goes up the stairs to follow and notices that he's about enter a room. Max runs towards the dorm room and hears gunshots firing inside which confirms that this is indeed the Virginia Tech Massacre.  _They sent me here to stop another school shooting. I must kill this shooter as well, that's what they want me to do. You are about to kill another person Max...what's wrong with you? Nothing right? I have the opportunity to save the lives of thirty innocent people. I still don't know what's the meaning of all of this is but I'm glad that my powers are being used to save lives. That is all that matters in the end. Now time to rewind and stop this from ever happening!_ Max rewinds time to a point before Cho enters the room. Max snaps her fingers to stop time for everything else except Cho and herself.

"Stop right there Cho!"

Cho is startled and looks back and sees Max standing looking at him. Max pulls the gun away from Cho, disarming him, and catches the gun. Max then tosses the gun aside. Cho immediately notices that something is not quite right and sees a blue aura surrounding Max. He is frozen still, not because Max is using her time stop attack on him, but because he is shocked on what he is witnessing in front of him.

"You were about to kill an innocent person right now. I was sent here to stop you from committing one of the worse mass shootings in history."

Cho remains standing still in disbelief, unable to reply or say a word.

"I'm so sorry Cho... I know life wasn't the best for you. I know that you sought help but it clearly wasn't enough to stop you from what you were about to do. Not everything was your fault, however, you are too dangerous to be left alive. What you were planning to do today is simply inexcusable...Goodbye."

Max extends her right hand and pushes Cho with great force, slamming him to the wall at the end of the hallway. Max walks towards Cho's body and senses that he is still alive just unconscious . Max focuses on Cho's body and senses his heart beating. Max tightens her fist to crush his heart, killing him instantly. Max stares at his body and then at her hands, shocked about what she just did.  _Holy fucking shit Max, what have you done? Whenever I feel empowered and surrounded in this aura, I feel like a completely different person_ _. What is happening to me? Stop it Max! Just stop it Max! You did the right thing. You stopped a massacre from happening! You are saving many lives with your powers! Now...I better go back to the present._ Max snaps her fingers to resume time then quickly holds on to the time ring to return to the present. She immediately returns to the same room with only Mr. Prescott present this time. She sees the Virginia Tech photo disappear into the thin air as well.

"Welcome back Max! You're back so soon! How was it this time around?"

"I killed the shooter and stopped another massacre from happening. I'm pretty sure that was what you guys wanted this time as well."

"You are saving a lot of lives Max. Aren't you proud of that? Your powers are being put to good use."

"Yes I am proud that my powers are saving people but at the same time I feel awful when I kill other human beings. Especially since I don't know what exactly you guys are up to by sending me back in the past. I don't feel like myself at all lately...I'm not sure if I like these feelings at all."

"Do not worry, you will soon find out the true purpose of these experiments. We are very pleased with your work so far Max! It's time for our next experiment."

"What? Already sending me back in time again?"

"Of course Max...we are very eager to see you more in action. Before I let you go though, we want to let you know that the eclipse is happening right now as we speak much to the shock of Arcadia Bay and the rest of the world. People are really starting to evacuate the town, afraid of what's going to come next, as the rest of the world watches it unfold."

"Really? That's good news to me.I'm glad that Arcadia Bay actually listened and is starting to evacuate the town before the tornado hits. What are you guys going to do about the tornado and my other predictions by the way?"

"Do not worry about that Max. We are working on how to deal with what's coming...I promise. Now...time for your next experiment."

Mr. Prescott gives a photo and a note to Max. It's a photo of a road with trees and a note of a symbol. The symbol is an O with a cross in it. Max immediately realizes what this symbol represents.

"Wait...isn't this the Zodiac Killer's sign?"

"Yes, it is."

"So you're sending me back to kill the Zodiac Killer?"

"Of course Max...he needs to be eliminated. I must warn you though, he was one of _us_  so it won't be as easy as the last two experiments. "

"What do you mean by that? He was one of you guys? Then why do you want him dead?"

"Remember Max, most of us have special powers...he's no different. It's a long story that you don't need to know...now go on and come back to us."

"What power does he have?"

" _Enough_  of your questions Max... you'll figure it out. We hope. We're counting on you."

Max gets frustrated and reluctantly holds on to the time ring and focuses on the picture to go back in time. Max opens her eyes and sees the same road on the photo but this time it's night time.  _Oh god when and where am I now? I must be back in the 60's now, holy shit! I don't see anything here just the road and the trees at night. This is scary dark._ Max uses her cell phone's flashlight to light up her surroundings. _I have to kill the Zodiac Killer now...I can't believe it._ Max walks on the road for a while until she notices a car driving behind her. As the car drives past her, she notices that the car is an older looking car, made in the 50's or 60's, and sees the car parking in a turn out ahead. _I remember that the first known victims of the Zodiac were a young couple out on a date that were killed aside their car. This must be it, I better lay low and watch the car and see if anything happens._

She walks towards the parked car and notices that there is a couple inside the car but doesn't see any other parked car or anybody else near them. Max decides to hide behind a tree and keeps an eye on the car, waiting for something to happen.  _I gotta be extra careful this time around. Mr. Prescott told me that the Zodiac Killer was one of them and he has some sort of special power. I need to be on high alert and act when the time right._

Max sees the lights of a car driving towards their direction and sees the car parking next to the couple's car. She then sees a man stepping out of the car with a mask on and wearing a vest with the Zodiac's symbol on it. He's carrying a handgun and begins to walk slowly towards to the couple's car. The couple doesn't seem to have noticed him yet. Max snaps her fingers to completely stop time and rushes towards the Zodiac. Max sees the Zodiac killer up close, a 6'2 tall masked man carrying a handgun. Max then resumes time for only the two of them and disarms the Zodiac quickly by a quick hand wave.

"Good evening Zodiac."

The masked man turns around and sees Max and begins to respond in a strange deep voice.

"What? Who are you? Why did you call me that?"

"My name is Max Caulfield. I come from a great distance to stop you from committing murder."

"Max Caulfield huh? A great  _distance_? You mean the future right? Ha ha ha so they actually did it!  _They_  sent you here right? The Order?" The masked man begins to chuckle.

"Yes, they sent me here but I am not a part of them."

"Oh, you're just another slave of theirs huh? It's strange how they sent a scrawny teenage girl to stop me. Ha ha ha! I knew they would betray me...those fuckers."

"I'm not just any teenage girl Zodiac."

Max extends her right hand which causes the Zodiac to be slammed back to his car. The Zodiac gets up and tries to reach for his gun but the gun gets pulled away from him by her. Zodiac sees Max covered with a blue aura with her right hand extended towards him and he begins to laugh even more.

"Ha ha ha, oh Max...you're quite powerful indeed. It's a damn shame that you are wasting your powers for them. They are not be trusted and soon you will realize that you should have fought back when you had the chance. You'll be a slave to them for the rest of your life."

"No...you're wrong Zodiac. I will escape and defeat them myself when the time is right. Believe me, I don't trust them at all."

"Oh you're so delusional Max! You don't know who you are dealing with do you? I'm sure you think that you're some type of hero by doing this. You're no hero Max!"

"Just shut up already you freak! You won't be hurting or killing anybody anymore!"

"Not so fast!"

The Zodiac disappears before Max's eyes then re-appears behind her and hits her in the back of her head causing Max to fall down for a moment before getting back up. The hit causes time to resume back to normal due to Max losing concentration.

_What the fuck? Does he have teleportation powers or something? He got behind me so fast and he reversed my time stop!_

The Zodiac begins to chuckle and taunt Max. "Are you surprised Max? I'm pretty sure they didn't tell you about my powers huh?"

Max extends her hands to attempt to choke him but the Zodiac once again disappears before she can attack. Max begins to turn around in all directions but gets punched in the face which causes to Max to fall down to the ground.

"I thought you were going to stop me Max? Maybe you'll be one of my first victims..."

"No way in hell you motherfucker!"

The Zodiac once again disappears and Max gets up and is on high alert looking around in all directions preparing for the upcoming attack.  _His teleportation attacks are too fast for me to react to... Gotta try something...let's try a rewind!_  Max quickly rewinds time just a bit to their last conversation.

"one of my first victims..."

This time Max quickly freezes the Zodiac and begins to choke the life out of him. Max feels that a power struggle between them as the Zodiac is definitely trying to escape the choke hold and time stop attack. Max tries to focus every ounce of her energy and power to finish him off but the Zodiac fights back and eventually manages to teleport away and escape Max's grip on him.  _Fuck! I'm too weak to fight this guy!_ The Zodiac quickly re-appears in front of her and punches Max in the face again causing her to fall down to the ground once more. Her blue aura goes away and feels that she's about to lose conscious. She sees him teleport once more and re-appears shortly afterwards now carrying his gun and points it at her. He also steps on her chest.  _Oh fuck!_

"I'll see you in hell Max."

Max's life flashes before her eyes and instantly thinks of her family and Chloe.  _No no no no not this way! No way in hell! CHLOE!_ Max looks at the gun and sees him pulling the trigger. She sees the bullet coming towards her in bullet time or in slow motion and Max tries to stop it with all the energy and power she has left. Her blue aura returns and she stops the bullet just before it hits her.

The Zodiac watches the bullet being frozen and doesn't know how to react. "What?"

Max sees that she has control of the bullet and snaps her fingers to use it to kill the Zodiac. The bullet hits Zodiac right in the head with such great speed and force that his body does a flip before hitting the ground. Max, gasping for air and feeling exhausted, slowly walks towards his body to confirm that he's really dead. Max sees and senses no sign of life from him. _You did it Max...you killed him...you stopped him from killing you and hurting other people. That was so fucking close...but I did it! I need to get the hell out of here. I will have to say that I'm not able to do anymore experiments for the time being. I need to get medical help and rest for a bit. They might not like it... but I need to convince them that I might collapse any moment if they don't let me rest. Maybe I will get to see Chloe soon...maybe._

Max is about to leave then she remembers the couple and looks at their car. She sees both of them with their mouths wide open looking through the window, obviously beyond surprised on what they have just seen.  _I can't let those two remember any of this._ Max grabs the Zodiac by the hand and rewind time all the way back to the beginning of the fight before the couple paid attention to them.  _It's unfortunate that rewinding time does not cure me but on the other hand if it did cured me, it would probably cure him as well. Okay, there's nothing else I can do here...time to go back to the present._ Max uses the time ring to return back to the present and immediately appears before Mr. Prescott again and sees the photo that she just used also disappear. This time, however, Mr. Prescott appears to be more concerned and anxious.

"MAX! You're finally here! Oh, looks like you got hurt back there huh?"

Mr. Prescott notices Max's bloody mouth and bruises on her body.

"Yes, I obviously did. Why didn't you tell me that he had teleportation powers?"

"My bosses wanted to see how you would react and see if you would survive a fight with him without prior knowledge of his power. That was a major part of the experiment. "

"That's not very fair at all but I shouldn't be surprised about that though. You people aren't exactly angels. I barely got out of that fight alive by the way. "

"You're very tough Max. Good job! You saved many more lives today."

"I sure hope so. I'm glad that my powers are saving lives and not destroying them...well... except the necessary deaths."

"Indeed Max...indeed...listen Max... we need to talk...does anything else happen today that we should know about apart from the eclipse?"

"No, nothing else at all. Well...one of my friends attempts to commit suicide today but I managed to deal with that already. I don't recall anything else that happens today."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am. Why?"

There's a knock on the door then the door opens and somebody pushes Chloe inside the room and the door gets closed again.

"CHLOE?!"

"MAX?! MAX! YOU'RE ALRIGHT!"

Max and Chloe hug each other for a moment before Mr. Prescott pulls them aside and grabs Max by her shirt.

"I'm so glad you're alright! I missed you so much...you don't even know it!"

"Yeah I missed you too Max!"

"I don't mean to ruin the moment but this is not the right time for this."

"Why not?"

Chloe approaches Max and talks to her in an anxious tone. "Max...we need your help. They woke me up hoping that I had knowledge about what is happening now. I didn't know what they were talking about until I saw it for myself. "

"What's going on?"

Sean Prescott cuts in.

"Max...the sky...is bloody red and the Moon is getting larger...our scientists are saying that the Moon is getting closer to the Earth little by little and they don't have a clue why."

"What the?"

"Yeah Max! The moon is slightly larger and the sky is very red. That never happened originally right? You never said anything about that."

"No...only the eclipse, the beached whales, and the tornado. That never happened in my timeline. What the fuck?"

Max gets a bad feeling in her stomach and feels like she's going to throw up any second now and faint.  _Oh god...I hope my powers isn't causing all of this shit to happen. B-but that wouldn't make any sense! Everything goes to hell regardless of me saving Chloe and using my powers! This can be just coincidental but what is really causing this shit to happen and why does it apparently get worse whenever I use my powers? Could I really be the key to everything? God I hope not._

"Lets go outside and see for yourself Max."

They exit out the room and follow Mr. Prescott towards an exit. Max doesn't see or hear anybody else in the hall or inside any of the other rooms. They exit the facility and Max sees that wherever she is at, it seems that they are in a small island. The ocean surrounds the island and the tides and waves are a bit out of control. Max looks up to the sky and stares at the larger than usual Moon and the bright red sky.

"Holy shit."

"That were my thoughts exactly Max. I'm so fucking scared right now."

Chloe goes up to Max and they hug once again. Max feels Chloe trembling a bit and feels her fear and emotions.

"It appears that we must go ahead and move more quickly than we originally planned."

Max turns around to Mr. Prescott and says "What do you mean by that?"

"I think it's time for you to learn a bit more about why exactly we been experimenting on you. We believe we know the reason on why this is all happening and Max, you're the only one that can do something about it."

"WHAT?"

Max looks at Mr. Prescott, eager to know more, then looks at Chloe who is visibly worried and confused about what is happening around them.

* * *

**CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 9!**


	9. We Are Not Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you skipped last chapter, Max was sent back in time to stop three events in real life history from happening as part of the experiments. Max interacted with real life people who are now deceased. Chapter ended with more crazy shit going on and putting the time experiments into a halt.

**We Are Not Alone**

* * *

**WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 9,2013**

Max, Chloe, and Sean Prescott are outside looking at the sky and the Moon. Max and Chloe are holding arms while Sean Prescott stands besides them. The ocean tides are getting increasingly out of control and the Moon has also increased in size even more. Chloe, trembling in fear, puts her head on Max's shoulder for comfort. Mr. Prescott takes a deep breath and prepares to tell Max about their theory about what's causing this.

"Alright Sean Prescott talk to me. You told me earlier that there might be other forces out there that are probably influencing the future. What exactly did you mean by that? Tell me what you know...NOW!"

Mr. Prescott beings speaking in a very concerned and anxious tone of voice."We seem to have no choice but to tell you Max. Alright, I will tell you everything. It's going to sound very far-fetched but you should know better than anybody, that anything is possible is this world."

"Fine, just tell me please. Do you know what's causing this or not?"

"Yes Max, we believe we do. Pay attention to what I'm about to say because I'm afraid we are running out of time and you definitely need to know everything . Are you sure you want your friend to listen to this as well?"

"Anything you tell Max, you can tell me. We're a team. We're in this together. "

"Yes Mr. Prescott, we're a team. She should know this information as well."

"Very well then, here it goes. Max...we are not alone in this universe...well... we are not alone period. Have you ever heard of the multiverse theory? Well, Max, we have definite proof of another parallel universe or dimension existing. Many years ago, during one of our Satanic rituals, a mysterious humanoid being emerged from the skies and approached us. We thought this was a sign from our great Satan but we quickly realized that we were wrong. This being started speaking to us telepathically to everybody one of us in a feminine but cold, intimidating, and nonhuman tone of voice. This being seems female but with much longer hair an she's far taller than the average female human. She has super bright pale skin, black long hair, and green sharp eyes. She wore clothes similar to what a Greek Goddess or a Roman Goddess were described as wearing. Anyways, she started speaking to us about the human race in general. She said that she has watched us for a very long time, observing us and studying us and our history. She said that we humans do not deserve this planet and that we are too violent and destructive for own good. Our greedy and selfish behavior are polluting this planet from its natural resources. She predicted a very dark future for us if we do not learn from our mistakes and improve ourselves. She said that among all the species and life out there, that she has discovered and studied, we are the worst. She left shortly afterwards but not before demonstrating some of her powerful capabilities. With one quick hand gesture, she created a F5 tornado out of nowhere that destroyed the nearby town of where we were at. She started...laughing... at us...then she shot out, what we could describe as a vortex portal, then she stepped into it and disappeared. We honestly did not think much of this. We did not speak of it afterwards. We simply thought that if she returned, we would simply take her out , ten years later she re-appeared and-"

Chloe interrupts him the conversation. "Wait just a minute,hold on please...what the fuck? You mean to tell me that some sort of alien from another universe is the one responsible for all of this shit?"

Sean Prescott gets annoyed by Chloe and responds to her. "Yes, we are afraid so but I wasn't done explaining yet. Please do not interrupt me again!"

Max looks at Chloe and gives her a stare. "Sorry about that Mr. Prescott. Continue please."

"Are you actually believing any of this Max? You can't be serious!"

"I'm... not sure yet Chloe... but I do want to hear everything Mr. Prescott has to say. After that, I will gather my thoughts and decide whether to believe this. Go on Mr. Prescott."

Sean takes a deep breath and proceeds to explain more. "Right. Anyways, ten years after she first appeared, she returned via another vortex portal. This time, during one of our science experiments that we were conducting. She said that she was not too happy that we did not took her seriously and that we haven't done anything to improve ourselves. One of us tried to fight her, as we agreed to do so, but was quickly defeated by an apparent telepathic attack as she did not move an inch and yet, our brother was knocked out and collapsed to the ground. She taunted us, saying that her powers are unrivaled and none of us could even challenge her. She then invited us to a tour of her home world because she wanted us to see it for some reason. We were intimated but curious, so we of course agreed. Using a vortex portal she created, we and some of our scientists, stepped inside and we were teleported instantly to another world. This world Max...is nearly identical to our world except with some minor differences. The sky, the air, and the landscapes are nearly the same except the creatures and animals that live in it are not the same as Earth's. She starting explaining, in a more calmed tone of voice and with improved English skills, that she is a scout and a scientist working for her employers and her government. She is part of a highly advanced alien civilization that is located millions of light-years away from her world. Her job is to find intelligent life and habitable planets out in space for which to study and report them back to her employers. During one of her voyages, she became lost and stranded on an unknown part of her universe. Light-years away from her home world and desperate for survival, she decided to take shelter on this remote planet. There she developed and expanded her powers and abilities. After several years of trial and error, she finally developed an immense portal, which she thought, would lead her back to her original home world but she was wrong. The portal lead her to a parallel universe...to Earth...to us. You see Max, her new world is the same planet as ours but in a different parallel universe. This is how she discovered us. She started showing us various parts of this other Earth and soon we discovered that the dominant species in this alternative Earth are not humans or apes, but a primitive species that seem to resemble a mix of dinosaurs or lizards but they capable to stand on two feet. We realized that this species have been enslaved by her as we witness multiple statues and monuments dedicated to her image. She confirmed that she has enslaved them and has forced them worship her like a goddess. She demonstrated her destructive powers to us once again by summoning a powerful thunderstorm and killing some of her slaves using thunder-strikes. They still worshiped and followed her commands like nothing happened. She warned that if we do not listen to her and don't change our behavior, our fate will be the same as her slaves or even worse. She then teleported us back to our Earth and disappeared. Just a year ago, she briefly returned but not in a physical form, she used her voice to communicate with us and indicated that we have failed to improve and that soon she shall start cleansing our Earth and purging the human race out of existence. She said there will be omens and signs before her next final visit. We tried our best to come up with strategies and methods to counter her. During the so-called tour, one of our scientists managed to take this photo with a camera he managed to sneaked in. It's a photo of a plant that he saw. Max, I'm sure you know where I'm going with this. You need to use this photo to go back in time and go to this other Earth and defeat her. There is no other way nor any other explanation. We do not believe that she genuinely cares about this planet's resources or human morality. She simply wants to play God and enjoys playing around. We imagine that her the time in isolation and time away from her original home world have caused her to become what she is now. She wants to kill us, toy with us, and treat us like mere rats. Max, you need to use your powers to face her and eliminate her before she eliminates us. She has clearly already started the process of wiping us out based on what you have told us and what's happening now. It will not be an easy task as she is extremely powerful and her alien slaves will surely be hostile but Max, you're the only one with the power to stop her. You're the only hope we have. I'm sure you need some time to think about this so I'll give you a few to sink this all in."

Max sits down and tries her best to digest all the information given to her. Sean Prescott hands her the photo of the plant. Chloe joins her, confused as hell and not knowing what to think or say, and puts her arm over Max. Max puts her hands on her head trying to think this through.  _Okay..so...there is a powerful being from a parallel universe that is causing all of this to happen. She is part of an advanced alien civilization. She wants the human race to die for our behavior and actions. She has enslaved another Earth's inhabitants and has made them worship her like a goddess. She likes to play God. I'm supposed to go to this other Earth and stop her there before she returns and starts killing us all. What the holy mother of fuck!? This could be a trap or a trick or part of a sick experiment they want me to partake in. I can't trust these people at all. Even the Zodiac killer told me not to believe a word they say. There must be another explanation!_

Sean watches them sitting together, impatiently.

"I hope you have gathered your thoughts and are ready to leave now."

"WHAT? Right now!?" Chloe shouts.

"No! Mr. Prescott... Right now? I haven't had enough time to prepare and thin-"

Sean becomes agitated and starts yelling at them. "YOU MUST GO NOW MAX! THE WORLD IS IN DANGER! WE HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT SHE MAY KNOW WHAT WE ARE UP TO. WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME IF THAT IS THE CASE. YOU MUST GO NOW BEFORE WE ARE ALL FUCKED!"

Chloe stands up and confronts the Prescott. "HEY! DON'T YELL AT HER YOU DIPSHIT! SHE NEEDS TIME TO THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU SAID!"

Sean points his fingers towards. "Shut the fuck up please. Neither of you have a clue how much danger we are all in despite me telling you all everything."

"Hold on please, calm down. I'm not ready at all for this. You still haven't told me everything yet you liar. What was the true purpose of the experiments?"

"Isn't it obvious Max? The point of them was to prepare you for this mission. We wanted to see if you can truly survive going back in time and measure how powerful you really are. We wanted to train and expand your powers by you by putting you in unfavorable situations throughout history. We wanted to make you even stronger. Saving the lives of the victims were insignificant for the most part. We hoped that cleaning some of the mess in our history would change her mind but it seems like that was a lost cause. We had so much planned for you Max and we wish we had more time to properly train you but it seems that we don't have anymore time for that. YOU MUST GO NOW!"

"What experiments? What are you guys talking about?"

"Please, stop your questions at once."

"I'll explain that part later Chloe."

"No, you won't. You need to go NOW!"

Mr. Prescott grabs Max by her shoulder, pulling her up, and begins to shove the photo to Max's face. Max tries to look away from the photo but gets forced by Mr. Prescott to look at it. Chloe interferes and pushes Mr. Prescott away from Max.  _Oh fuck! Chloe, no! Don't hurt her please._

Sean gets even more irritated at them, especially at Chloe. "I have had enough of you worthless slut."

Max yells at Sean Prescott to avoid him harming Chloe. "Wait hold on please! I'll do it..I'll go for it. Just don't touch or hurt her please. Can...you.. at least give us a minute please? Alone?"

Sean rolls his eyes and paces back and forth before finally responding. "Fine! Only a minute though. I'll be right back. You better be ready Max when I come back!"

Mr. Prescott leaves Chloe and Max alone and steps back to the building and closes the door. Max puts the photo given to her on her back pocket.

"I could have taken down that motherfucker by myself Max. You didn't have to jump in to save me."

"No Chloe, you couldn't. He has special powers like me. "

"What? Are you serious? What a strange fucking day this is! Aliens exist. The sky is red. Sean Prescott has super powers! The moon is about to clash with the Earth! What the fuck is going on?"

"Tell me about it Chloe. This world...life...is so fucking strange!"

"I know Max. So what do you think of what he said? Do you believe him? He did sound serious and scared but what he said is fucking insane."

Max begins to break down in tears. "They are going to force me to use my powers to go to some other world to stop a super alien being that I never even heard of before until now. He said that if I stopped her, I can prevent all of this chaos from happening but I...I..don't want to go! Chloe... I don't want to go! I'm scared...I don't know what to do!"

They hug as tears are flowing down Max's eyes. Chloe feels Max trembling in fear now and begins to shed tears as well. Max continues to hug Chloe as long as she can before he comes back. Then she remembers something important. The selfie she took and gave to Chloe just yesterday in the woods.  _The selfie...that's my ticket out of here!_

Max begins to whisper to Chloe. "Chloe...quick...do you still have that selfie I gave you?"

"Yes, I think so...why?" Chloe searches her pockets and finds the selfie and gives it to Max.

_With this photo...I can go back in time...before any of this shit happened. I will have to undo everything I did with the experiments but I'll be free. We'll be free. I have to also explain everything that happened to Chloe. Oh well, it's worth it. Then I will have more time and look for other clues that may be out there._

"Max, you're thinking of going back in time again right?"

"Yes, I am. I will go back and prevent us from being captured by these freaks. I hate to leave you Chloe but I must go now before he comes back and forces me to do something I do not want to do."

Chloe starts to get worried but smiles it off ."Go for it Max. Do not worry about me. I know you will fix everything. Get out of here now."

They give each other a quick hug then Max proceeds to focus on the photo to go back in time, using the selfie, to yesterday morning. Max sees that she's back in the woods with Chloe and she hears Chloe asking why she is taking another selfie just like she remembers. Max immediately goes to hug Chloe which catches her off guard. Chloe gently pushes back Max off her.

"Whoa hold on Max, you just took another selfie and now you're hugging me again out of nowhere? What's up with you? Wait, why do you have bloody swollen lips? Did something to you while I wasn't looking? What happened Max?"

"Chloe! Chloe! We need to get out of here now! I'll explain everything to you later but we need to get out of here now!"

"What? Why? I thought we were going to explore and find that secret site that's on that old map?"

"We already did Chloe! I know what's out there and trust me, you don't want to find out. There's nothing but danger out here. I managed to escape from what is out there but please, lets head back to your truck and go back to town."

"What are you talking about? What's out there? You used a photo to time jump again didn't you?"

"Yes, of course I did. There's crazy fucking shit out there Chloe. I'll explain it on the trip back but now please lets go."

**CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 10**


	10. Leap of Faith

**Leap of Faith**

* * *

They get back to the truck and drive back toward Chloe's house. Max starts explaining everything as best she can to Chloe, about what happened to them. Chloe, of course, is surprised about what Max has to say but is eager to learn more. Max decides to be vague when explaining the experiments to Chloe, only telling her that they used her powers to go back in time to stop certain events from happening in history. As Max is talking to Chloe about what happened, she looks at her hand and notices that she's still wearing the time ring given to her.  _This is pretty strange...why do I still have the ring on? We're driving away to avoid being captured in the first place so why do I still have the ring? I wonder if everything is back to normal in this timeline._  Max reaches for her phone, which now has service, and googles "Zodiac Killer"and comes up with almost little to no results. She then googles "Columbine High School Massacre" and finds almost nothing related to it.  _Holy shit! Everything I did with experiments are still intact. There's only an old article on the entire internet about the Columbine Shooting and it's only about the planning of it, the title of the article is "What Could Have Happened in Columbine High School in 1999" This doesn't make any sense...I was never captured by them meaning I shouldn't have the ring nor ever had the chance to go back in time to do their experiments._ Max then checks her back pocket and sees that she still has the photo given to her by Mr. Prescott.  _I still have this damn photo. Why do I still have these items? This doesn't make sense._ Max puts the photo on her lap.

Chloe notices that Max is inspecting the time ring and asks: "So that ring allows you to travel back in time using any photo huh? Pretty bizarro Max. I can't believe that happened to us. I knew the Prescotts were into some freaky ass shit. That whole family is fucking evil. Now I know that not every conspiracy theory is bullshit. Funny how that works. Pretty strange fucking world we live in Max."

Max resumes her pondering. So _this is yet another timeline I created. A timeline where the 'Zodiac Killer'_ _never existed and the Columbine and Virginia Tech shootings were stopped before they happened. I still retained all the old information and experience from the previous timeline though. This doesn't make sense. Could the time ring have something to do with it? I wonder if Rachel Scott is my friend or still alive in this timeline._ Max searches her contact list on her phone and does see a "Rachel" as one of her contacts. She sees that she and Rachel has texted each other recently. Max smiles when she sees Rachel mention Kate in one of the texts.  _Kate and Rachel Scott would make such great friends. I'm glad that Rachel remembered what I told her. This is fucking crazy though. I wonder what else is new in this timeline?_ Chloe continues to drive but soon takes notice of the photo given to Max by Sean Prescott.

"What is that picture of? Looks like a photo of some weird plant or something. Never seen that kind of plant before."

Max takes a deep breath and starts to think whether or not to tell Chloe about the Illuminati's theory about what's causing the bizarre weather and strange events. She decides to give her a brief explanation.

"Apparently, according to those freaks, it is a photo of a plant from another Earth in a parallel universe. Basically, they told me a powerful alien being from another parallel universe is the one responsible for the strange events going on. This being wants us humans to die for our actions, morality, and extensive violent history. She thinks of herself as a god and has threatened them with total human extinction. Yes, it's a female apparently."

Chloe is in disbelief and scratches her head and responds. "Wait a minute, so an alien from another reality is the one causing all of this shit to happen? Do you actually believe them?"

"According to Sean Prescott and his cult, that's the truth. They were about to force me to use my powers to jump into the photo to go that other world to fight this being before I escaped. I don't know what to believe to be honest. I mean, what they could be saying is possible, I guess, but despite everything that I have gone through, the idea of an otherworldly powerful being behind all of this is really non-believable to me. I would like to see if there's any other possible explanation. The photo does seem real though and it's a plant that I never seen before either."

"What are you going to do about the photo and what are we going to do next?"

"I'm not sure what to do about it. I'm going to keep it for now of course. I have to really think about what just happened to me. I really need a break from all of my time travel adventures. Of course, I cannot rest long as I know what's going to come soon."

"I don't blame you at all Max. After everything you told me, you deserve a break from this shit."

They continue driving towards Chloe's house until Max spots something familiar in the road ahead. It's the ghostly doe in the middle of the road.  _What? What is the doe doing there?_

"Chloe pull over now."

"Why?"

"I see a doe ahead of us in the road."

"I don't see anything at all Max."

"Pull over Chloe please. It's right there!"

"Okay fine Max. I guess you can see ghosts now too huh?"

They pull over and Max sees that the doe is starting to leave the road and runs away into the woods. Max decides to follow it with Chloe going after her. The doe leads them into an open field then Max watches it disappear into thin air.

"Okay Max...you're starting to freak me out a bit. What exactly were you chasing? I saw nothing!"

"It was the doe I told you about! It's gone now though. I don't know where it went or why it appeared in the first place."

"Well, let's get out of here then. I know that you experienced a lot of shit recently but I don't know why you are now hallucinating things."

"I'm not hallucinating Chloe. I know what I saw. But yes, lets go now. The doe has left anyways."

They begin to walk back towards the truck until Max hears voices and movement near them. She senses that there are several people approaching them.  _Oh fuck...it better not be those freaks and Sean Prescott chasing us down._

"What's that noise Max? Hello!? Anybody out there?" Chloe shouts in the direction of the noises.

"Watch out Chloe. Prepare for the worst. The cult might have tracked us down...I can sense that there are several people near us."

They look around in all directions until Max spots a face of a man she has seen before. Both of them look around and they begin to see a group of Native American men and women emerging from the trees. One of them, a tall average built man with long black hair, approaches them. He seems to be the leader of the group and it is the same man Max recognizes.  _He's the same man who put his hand over me and healed me last back in the woods in the future. He and his people saved my life and granted me new powers._ Chloe gets intimated and attempts to reach for her gun but Max quickly gets of a hold of Chloe before she can pull it out.

"No Chloe! Stop what you're doing! Put that away."

"Aren't these the freaks you were talking about?"

"No, they are not. This is not Sean Prescott's cult at all.I have seen these people before though. They are the Native Americans who saved me and healed me in the woods. I told you about them, do you remember?"

The Native American leader starts to speak: "Hello young ladies. We mean you no harm. The forest is too dangerous for you two to be out here alone. Please follow us to our village. Danger awaits."

Max takes a few step back before responding. "We know it's dangerous out here sir. That's why we were about to leave and head back to town. Who are you guys?"

"My name is Enyeto, chief of the Tillamook Tribe. Every one of us is part of the Tillamook. My people have lived in this forest and around this part of Oregon for generations. We are few in number but we have remained a strong and prideful tribe, protecting ourselves and the earth around us. What are your names?"

"Nice to meet you Enyeto. My name is Max Caulfeld and this is my gi-uh...friend Chloe Price."

"Hello there. Max, let's get out here."

Max steps back from the natives and starts to leave but not before saying farewell. "Sorry Chief, but we need to leave. It was nice meeting you though."

"Wait hold on Max! We know who you are!"

This gets the attention of Max and she turns around says "What? You know who I am?"

"Yes, Max. We have foreseen your arrival. We know about your powers!"

"What? How?"

"Please follow us and I'll explain everything to you and your friend."

Chloe and Max looks at each other and Max gives a nod which indicates to Chloe that she will follow them. Chloe reluctantly agrees to follow them as well. Both follow Chief Enyeto and the rest of his people about a mile east until they reach their village. The Indian village consists of several wooden huts and cabins with a huge bonfire in the middle of it. They both see several other members of the tribe, including children, waiting for them by the bonfire.  _This is exactly the place where they took me to heal last week. I recognize this place._ The natives instruct Max and Chloe to sit down and wait for a few minutes as Enyeto is gathering everybody from the tribe for a quick meeting.

Chloe whispers to Max. "Max, why are we here? Why did you want to follow him?

Max whispers back. "Because they know about my powers. They healed me and saved my life in the future. They may know what's going happen and they might explain why I have these powers to begin with. They might know something about what's causing the terrible events to happen as well."

More of the tribe members begin to arrive and they all gather around the bonfire. Chief Enyeto stands in front of everybody and begins to introduce the duo.

"Hello everyone. I would like you all to meet Max Caulfield and Chloe Price. We believe they are the ones."

 _The ones?_ Both of them hear some of the tribe members gasp and hear them whispering to each other. Max turns around and gives an awkward greeting hand wave while Chloe remains still with her arms crossed looking ahead.

"Okay Max and Chloe, let us get down to business because we don't have all the time in the world. The future is in great danger and horrifying events await us. Before we start though, I can see that Max has been in a fight or struggle recently. Let me heal your wounds and swollen lips. The Chief puts his hand on Max's head and begins to heal her. Max starts to feel a great energy inside her which feels amazing to her. Her wounds and bloody swollen mouth lips begin to disappear. Chloe watches in astonishment as the Chief lets go of Max.  _Holy shit that felt great. I feel even more powerful now. My bloody lips are gone! Just like last time...they healed completely and made me feel better._

"That was amazing! Max, how do you feel?"

"I feel better actually. Thank you sir!"

"You are welcomed Max. While I was healing you, I felt your spirit and your great powers within you. You have been gifted such amazing powers Max. Time manipulation is a very useful but dangerous ability to have. It seems that you have total control over it and you have used them for great use. I also felt all your emotions and feelings and I could immediately tell that you have been through a lot recently. I also felt, for a moment, a darker side within you."

Chloe looks confused and questions the Chief. "Hold on, a darker side? Max is a gentle soul and has no dark side. She's too pure to have a dark side."

Max turns to Chloe. "I don't know Chloe, after everything that has happened to me, I may have a dark side after all. I cannot help it. These powers have changed my life and my personality so much in so little time. I don't know how I'm not insane yet."

"I know what I felt within you Max. However, I do not think it should concern you. I only sensed it for a moment. Anyways, it's time for you to learn more about us and why you two are more important than you realize. We, the Tillamook tribe, are a very conservative tribe, well-connected to mother nature and the world. We still like to follow old traditions and practices that have been passed down through generations and abandoned by other Native tribes. My people are specialists in healing, medicine, and prophecies. For the past month, we have been haunted by horrifying visions and nightmares about the near future. Every single of us has had the same visions or nightmares. Other nearby tribes have also experienced similar visions and premonitions. The first vision we experienced, was of a tornado hitting a town. Images and voices of people dying and suffering flooded our minds. Identical visions followed such as tsunamis wiping out famous cities around the world,earthquakes destroying other cities and towns, and thousands of meteorites falling from the sky. Hearing thousands of cries of people dying and suffering at once is not something you would like to ever experience. The visions and nightmares continued, however, they now had a voice that spoke to us while we were shown these images. The voice...was very intimating. The voice sounded feminine but nonhuman at the same time. It repeated phrases like 'Die...You all Die' and 'The End is near. The End is near'. We tried our best to fight off these visions and nightmares but they still continued. Soon, a demonic figure began to appear in the visions speaking with the same voice. It appeared to be a taller than average female human being but with long black hair that reached to her hips, bright pale skin, and green sharp eyes. She was dressed as if it was an ancient Greek or Roman goddess. She continued to appear in the visions, taunting us, and laughing as images of dead people were showed to us. Then, the visions began to display glimpses of hope and beauty. After the usual terrifying images and voices, we saw peaceful and pretty images of a doe and a blue butterfly playing together in a beautiful forest. There was no chaos or disaster. There was no voice. There was just the doe and the butterfly enjoying their habitat and each other. On a different vision, we saw the doe and butterfly once again in the same forest, however, this time the doe demonstrated a special ability. The doe began to shine and the forest around it started to change rapidly, like it was forwarding or rewinding time, as seasons came and went in seconds. We noticed that the doe has worn some sort of necklace with a clock all this time. The clock never stopped moving, always moving counter-clockwise. The voice and the female demonic figure seem to be afraid of the doe and the butterfly as it always disappears before they show up and are never shown interacting with them. My people and other friendly native tribes have discussed these visions to great lengths and have come to some conclusions. The future is in clear danger. There is a supernatural being or entity that wants the human race to die or suffer and doe and the blue butterfly represents the spirit animals of the two individuals that can potentially be the ones to stop this entity and bring peace to this world. We theorized that whoever's spiritual animal was the doe, they must have some sort of time manipulation ability. That's all we have concluded so far. We have tried to warn the government and the people but we have been ignored for the most part. Max, although we know that you have time manipulation powers ,we do not know exactly how it works or how you managed to obtained them. All we know is that your powers can make a difference in the uncertain future."

_No, this can't be! They are describing the same female otherworldly being that Sean Prescott described. These people saw exact visions of the future and know what's going to happen soon. Could Sean Prescott and the Illuminati really be right about this?_

Chloe looks at Max and tries her best to comprehend what she just heard the Chief say. There's something that immediately gets her attention, the mention of the doe and the blue butterfly.

Chloe turns to look at Max. "Max, you told me that you saw a doe earlier in the woods. I also remember you telling me that a doe was guiding you throughout our search for Rachel Amber. You also told me that you used a photograph of a blue butterfly to go back in time and save me. Thanks to that photo and the doe, it has led us right to this point."

Enyeto smiles and nods his head. "This confirms everything. Max, your spirit animal is the Doe and Chloe, your spirit animal is the Blue Butterfly. My people can detect other's spirit animals due to our deep connection to the earth and the environment. It is no surprise that you two have met your spirit animals already in your lives. It seems that your spirit animals are really guiding you."

"Whoa really? My spirit animal is a blue butterfly? Did you hear that Max?"

Max slowly nods her head in agreement but continues to ponder and begins to feel anxious.  _Both the Illuminati and the native tribes have concluded that there is some sort of supernatural powerful being that is causing total chaos in the near future. I never met these people before yet they seem to know everything about what is going to happen and even know what kind of powers I have. I better tell the Chief about what Sean Prescott told me and see what he suggests me to do._

"Those visions your people had must have been terrifying to experience. You are absolutely correct about me. I have the power of time manipulation. The doe and the blue butterfly have also appeared to me in several occasions, always guiding me to where I need to go. I didn't know that my spirit animal was actually the doe but now I realize that I should have guessed that by now."

"Do not worry about that Max. A lot of people live their entire lives never knowing their spirit animals and their true potential. It's a shame really."

Max nods in agreement. "Enyeto, do you know about the Illuminati or cult that hangs out in the woods in this forest? They practice human and animal sacrifice and worship the Devil. Their group consists of powerful politicians and people with supernatural abilities."

"Of course I do Max. They are not ones to be trusted or befriend. They are a truly disgusting evil group of people. I hope that you never meet them, they are a part of the danger that we warned you about. They tend not to disturb us anymore though."

"It's a long story but I have already met them. They kidnapped us and made me do some experiments with my powers."

"What? That is absolutely horrible to hear. I'm sorry that you had to experience that. I could only imagine what sick experiments and plans they had planned for you. You managed to escape then?"

"Yes, I managed to barely escape from them. There is something that you said about the visions that your people had that sounds very familiar to what they told me. They also predicted a very dark future ahead of us and they have an idea what's causing it."

"Normally I wouldn't be bothered knowing their business and ideas but go on Max. We are curious to see what they told you and eager to know what they mean by a dark future. We also like to know a bit about yourself,your powers, and how you ended up here."

Max nods her head and takes a deep breath.

"You see, I'm from another timeline where I already experienced this week. There will be a huge tornado that will destroy Arcadia Bay and soon the entire world will be in total chaos. What you saw in your visions does become true, tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters will affect the entire world. With my powers, I can rewind time and use photographs to go back in time. I have used my abilities to investigate what is really causing all of this to happen. Eventually, the investigation lead me to the Prescott family and that lead me to be captured by him and his cult. They experimented on me and sent back in time to various points in time to stop certain events from happening. I had to follow their commands because I was afraid that they would kill Chloe, if I did not cooperate,and I was hoping to confirm if they have any involvement in the upcoming disasters. After the last experiment, they started freaking out once they saw that the sky turned into a bright red color and the Moon began to get closer to Earth. This is when they told me what they think is causing all of this. They described a powerful otherworldly female-like being visiting them many years ago. Their description of this being matches exactly the figure you all saw in your visions. She spoke to them and said that we humans are among the worst species that has ever been discovered and that we should be destroyed before we destroy each other and ruin this planet's resources. She demonstrated to them her destructive weather manipulating powers by created a huge tornado out of nowhere and destroying a town. She warned them if we humans do not improve our morality and behavior, she predicted a very dark future for the human race. She left after that incident but returned years later. She described herself as a scout and scientist for an advanced alien race, employed by her government, seeking habitable planets and intelligent life to study and report them back to her leaders. On this visit, she offered them a tour of her own world using her teleportation abilities. She showed them her world, which is identical to ours, and explained that her world is our Earth but in a parallel universe. This other Earth does not have humans or earth like-creatures but they do have a primitive lizard-like dominant species that she has enslaved. She forces this species to worship her like a god. She then ends the tour and teleports them back to our Earth but once again warns them to fix humanity and get our shit together pretty much. They do not seem to do anything about this until a year ago where she once again returns and telepathically tells them that the end is near and that she will start the process of purging us out. This is where I come in. They want me to use my powers and use this photo to go back in time and go to this other world to stop her before she starts killing us off. They believe that she doesn't genuinely care about human ethics or the planet's resources, they believe that she merely enjoys the role of playing God. I chose to escape from them after hearing this, thinking it was a trick or a lie, but now I think I was wrong all along. Take a look at this photo they gave me. It is a photo of a plant that they found in the Earth from the parallel universe."

Chief Enyeto grabs the photo from Max's hand and immediately calls for some of the other native men for a private conversation. They begin to talk in their own language. Max and Chloe stay seated. Chloe starts to whisper to Max and puts her hand on Max's left shoulder.

"Whoa Max, you didn't tell me all that shit you told them."

"Sorry Chloe, I just didn't want to freak you out and think I was making stuff up. You got the overall point of it though."

Enyeto dismisses the group and approaches the duo.

"Max, we have discussed what you told us and inspected the photo. It seems both we and The Order have encountered this same demonic being. Although, I hate to agree with anything they say or do,it seems that they know more than us and we both share the same beliefs about the upcoming future."

"So you're saying that I should follow their commands and use my powers to go to another reality and stop her from killing us off?

"You must do what you feel is right. We won't force you to go. Nobody will. All we know is that there is definitely a powerful force out there that is influencing our future and it doesn't look good at all. The warnings are clear Max."

Max looks down to the ground with Chloe now putting her left arm over her to confront her.  _This cannot be real. I'm not ready for such a task. I mean, where do I even start? What the fuck am I suppose to do anyways? There has to be another explanation...but there really isn't._ Enyeto notices that Max doesn't look too happy after hearing what he said.

Enyeto sits down and approaches Max, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Max, I feel and understand your doubts and your concerns. Believe me, we all know you can do this. You're the only one who can. Again, we will not force you to go or do anything that you don't want to do. It's completely your judgment. You have been blessed with these wonderful powers and you have a lot of potential to be even more greater. We can train and teach you how to increase your powers by learning our practices and rituals. You won't believe how far someone can get if they learn to have a connection with the Earth and train their souls and will power."

Max suddenly gets up, still looking down, and tightens her fists then she yells to everybody. "NO! I DON'T WANT TO TRAIN! I DON'T WANT TO BE ANY PART OF THIS! I DIDN'T ASK FOR ANY OF THIS!". Max storms out of the village and into the woods. Enyeto hands Chloe back the photograph and she runs after her, yelling out Max's name. Eventually Max goes down to her knees and starts to break down. Chloe catches up to her and starts hugging her.

"What's wrong Max? Why did you yell at everybody?"

"Chloe...I'm so tired of being the key to everything. I never asked for these fucking powers. I didn't ask to be the hero of time or the savior of the world. I didn't ask for any of this shit. I just want to live a normal life. I want to be a normal teenager enjoying life and not be Wonder Woman. "

"Max...I'm so sorry that you have this burden. I'm sorry that you feel like this but you were given these powers for good reasons and your powers are going to save us all!"

"But why me Chloe?"

"Because you're Max fuckin' Caulfield! The greatest person who has ever lived!"

Max rests her head on Chloe's chest. Tears are flowing down from Max's eyes. Chloe tries her best to comfort her best friend until she looks up to the sky and notices several flashes of light, that seem to be flares or balls of lights, covering the entire skyline.

"What the fuck? Max look at the sky!"

Max looks up to the sky and sees that its been covered with fast-moving lights.

"What the fuck is going on?"

"They look like...flares...no...they look like meteors."

"Meteors? No fucking way! OH SHIT!"

They watch in horror as hundreds of meteorites starts falling from the sky and hitting the ground with intense speed and force within miles from them. The ground starts shaking as well due to the impacts. Both hear Enyeto and some of the natives coming towards them but due to the ground shaking and chaos, the tribe gets ambushed by falling trees and debris and are forced to retreat. Chloe and Max starts running back to the truck to escape from the forest, as they try their best to avoid the chaos surrounding them.

"Max, you never told me about meteors falling from the sky!

"Because this never happened before! None of this happened originally!"

"Oh fuck Max! There's three coming right towards us! OH FUCK THEY ARE GETTING CLOSER! MAX!"

Max runs ahead of Chloe and extends her right hand towards the sky and focuses on the fast approaching meteorites. Using her time stop attack, she stops not only the three meteorites coming towards them, but all the visible meteorites in the sky. Chloe watches in astonishment as her best friend stops all the meteorites at once and with one brief wave of her hand, all the meteorites disintegrate instantly. Max rests her hand as Chloe catches up to her.

"That was so fucking amazing Max! That was the greatest thing I ever saw in my life! You saved everybody!"

"Not so fast Chloe...look again..."

Chloe looks at the sky again and sees that another round of meteorites are once again approaching.

"We need to get out here now! We need to get back to your truck! Hurry!"

Chloe listens but doesn't move an inch. She hasn't stopped staring at the sky above. Max tries to pull her arm to get her going but Chloe doesn't budge. Chloe then turns her head and looks rights into Max's eyes. It is in this exact moment that Chloe realizes who she has in front of her. Max is not an ordinary teenage girl. She is no longer simply her best friend that she has known from childhood. She is something greater. She's part of something bigger than anything she can ever hope to comprehend. Chloe starts to smile at Max.

"Chloe? What are you doing? We need to get the hell out of here! Why aren't you moving?"

"Max, what's the point of running away?"

"What the hell are you talking about? Can't you see what's happening?"

"I do Max...but it doesn't look like you do though."

Max is confused about what Chloe is saying to her. "What do you mean by that Chloe? We really need to go now. Our lives is in danger."

"Why are you running away Max? Where are you running to? The world is ending. Don't you see? There's no where to run to. "

"I'm running towards the truck so we can head back to town for shelter. Now lets go!"

"No Max...you're running away from your true purpose and meaning of your own damn mission. You told me you traveled back in time to makes things right? Right? To save lives. To save my life. To investigate what's behind of our terrible future. You been given an answer Max...by two different groups of people. You been told already what you need to do to save everybody. You have the knowledge and the tools necessary...yet you choose to run away? Go ahead and run away Max. Use another one of your selfies to go back in time again. See what happens! Don't you realize that shit will just keep following you until you actually do something about it?"

Max stands in disbelief and attempts to respond back but is unable to do so. Chloe's words has left Max completely speechless. Both of them stay still and looking at each other as more meteorites are hitting the ground near them and in the distance.  _She's right. I have been given the answer already. It doesn't matter if I go back in time again and keep running away, the force behind this chaos is following me. Watching me. How am I suppose to beat such a powerful being though? All by myself? What about Chloe and everybody else? They are going to die if this keeps up!_

"Chloe...I just can't...I can't just leave you here to die!"

"Max, if you don't do something about this...you're not just letting me die...you're going to let everybody else die! All of your efforts would have gone to waste!"

"I just can't...I just can't...do it...Chloe. I can't just go to some strange other world all by myself.."

"You will never be alone Max. You won't be by yourself."

"B-but Chloe..."

"Shhhh"

Chloe puts her right hand's index ringer on Max's mouth, shushing her. Chloe then takes off her bullet necklace and puts it on Max. Chloe takes her finger off Max's mouth and reaches in and starts kissing her on the mouth. Max is caught completely off guard at first by Chloe's actions but quickly caves in and starts feeling and enjoying the moment. They kiss as the world around them is getting bombarded by the falling meteorites. The ground is shaking from the impacts as if there was an earthquake happening but it doesn't interrupt them at all. They remain unconcerned by the chaos surrounding them. Max feels the great bond between the two of them and feels like both of their souls are merging together. Chloe lets go of Max and gives her a warm comforting smile. Max feels butterflies in her stomach and a great rejuvenating power within her. Max looks at her hands and arms and sees that her body is now covered by a faint purple colored aura. Chloe hands her the photo given by Sean Prescott.

"Chloe..."

"You know what you have to do. Now go kick some alien ass for me. For everybody. The necklace represents our great friendship and relationship. Remember that I will never leave you and you will not be alone."

Max gives Chloe one last quick hug before she focuses on the photo. As soon as she begins to focus on the photo, she begins to hear unintelligible voices and a laughter that sends shivers down her spine. Nevertheless, she keeps her focus on the photo and jumps into it to travel to another reality.

**CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 11**


	11. Obstacles in the World Beyond

**Obstacles in the World Beyond**

* * *

**DATE UNKNOWN**

Max opens her eyes and looks around her surroundings. She's no longer in the forest with Chloe. There is no longer a meteor shower happening . The ground is no longer shaking. The sky is a bit cloudy but mostly clear and blue. Chloe and the natives are not present. She realizes that she's on the edge of a cliff and a purple ocean is beneath her. The ocean tides and waves are normal. A cold breeze blows at her direction. A forest of colorful tall mushroom and flower shaped trees surrounds the area. She hears an animal cry and looks above and sees a group of flying creatures that she has never seen more that resemble pterodactyls. She turns around and sees an entrance to a cave and an old torn United States Flag on the right side of the cave entrance. She walks towards the cave and enters it, eventually reaching what appears to be an old campsite. She finds several sleeping bags, empty food cans, soda cans, beer bottles, walkie talkies, cigarettes, flashlights, and a camo backpack. There's a rotten unbearable odor that causes Max to quickly get out of the cave. She grabs the backpack and runs out of the cave to get some fresh air. She takes some deep breaths and sits down to look what's inside the backpack and think to herself as she inspects this new strange world around her.

_It smelled like skunk and rotten dead bodies in there. What a horrible smell! So I'm here. Chloe managed to convince me to come here. That kiss was magical. I still have goosebumps from it . I felt the love and the powerful connection between us. I can't believe she actually kissed me but I'm glad she did. It made me forget about what was going on around us for a while. I wanted to stay in that moment forever. Now I am here...in this other Earth. An Earth from a parallel universe. It doesn't look very different...there's oxygen, an ocean, rocks, caves, and a blue sky. I don't see any other humans here though and only strange creatures that look like they're from Jurassic Park or something like that. According to the Illuminati, there's a dominant but primitive species of reptilian or lizard like creatures that stand on two feet. They are slaves of the one being that is behind the chaos of my home town and world. I have been given the task to kill it using my powers to save the world. I wish I had more information before I arrived here though. Now I regret not going when Sean Prescott ordered me to do so, they might have given me more information before I came here. How the fuck would I have known though? Oh well. Where do I even go from here? Why is there an old campsite here? Have they send others here as well? This is getting even more strange and confusing now. The backpack smells like shit but it might have some interesting stuff inside._

Max inspects the backpack and sees a printed name of "PVT. TAYLOR" on it. She opens it up and finds a blank notebook, binoculars, a pen, a switch-blade, a box of 9mm caliber ammunition, and a torn piece of paper that seems to have been torn out from a journal or a notebook. She begins reading from the paper.  _October 8, 2008. It has been three long months since we have started our operation. This part of the forest is no longer safe. We have had enough of the nightmares and visions that have haunted us for the past weeks. We have had enough of the mind games. Most of us who are still alive and sane have decided to find that portal to go back to Earth, even if we have to confront Her. There's no other way out of here. It will be our last-ditch effort to escape and get back home. Pvt. Stevens is the only one not going with us, still thinking the old teleportation method will work. Gotta love his determination but he's a dead fool. We'll head down south and follow the marked path Lt. Chambers has created tomorrow morning. Pvt. Stevens says it's a suicide mission and he might be right but it's worth trying just to get out of this Hell. I'm sure She is watching us. She is expecting us. I just hope we find that portal and make an escape. I really regret ever agreeing to this shit-Pvt. Taylor._

Max puts the paper down and starts wondering who these people are and why they were here.  _So the person who wrote this is from the military. They probably sent a squad or a platoon of soldiers here to investigate this world or even try to kill that being. But how could they have sent these people here? I was told that the Illuminati was only given the tour of this place and nothing more. I'm obviously not the first person sent here by them. Fucking Sean Prescott! He's a liar. He didn't tell me the full story. Why am I surprised though? I shouldn't be at all! Those scumbags are manipulative and dishonest about everything. The journal entry by this Private Taylor does mentions the powerful female alien being and the portal they told me about though. This other Earth obviously exists as well. What is true and what is false? I wish I had more of these journal entries to read to learn more about their operation. I would need to follow their tracks and go south from here and hopefully that will lead me to Her. Maybe I will find more campsites and get more information along the way. I really wish Chloe was here and not be alone in this other world. No-you're not alone Max. Remember what Chloe said. Well... it's time for another Max adventure._

Before she begins her journey, Max decides to try out her powers to confirm they work here. She successfully rewinds and stops time as usual. She can still move objects such as rocks using her powers just like before. She feels even more powerful than ever now. She grabs the switch blade and binoculars and goes back to the cave to retrieve a flashlight. She takes out her camera and takes a selfie and puts it on her back pocket.  _Never change Max._ She makes sure she has everything she needs and starts to head down the slope, heading down south just like she read. She walks a few feet and then notices a faint painted American flag symbol on one of the odd-looking mushroom trees just outside the campsite. Using the binoculars, she finds another tree painted with the same flag symbol about half a mile away further down the hill and into the forest.  _This must be how they marked their path. This is my only lead I have, I'm going to have to follow it._ She puts the binoculars in her backpack and continues on her way. She then hears a strange nonhuman voice inside her head that causes her to stop in her tracks.

"INTRUDER! GO AWAY INTRUDER!".  _What the fuck? That must be her, that powerful being who I'm suppose to face. Fuck! She knows I'm here already. So that is what it feels like to have someone or something speak to you telepathically. Shit that was scary. C'mon Max, that was just a voice. Continue on. You didn't expect this to be easy right? Do it for Chloe and everybody else._ Max continues to walk down the path looking for more of the painted symbols and observing this strange but beautiful other world. Max doesn't see any other sign of life except odd-looking bugs, critters, and insects around her. She hears noises that sound like crickets and birds but in a different pitch all around her. She looks up to the sky and spots more of those pterodactyls looking creatures flying above her.  _This is actually a very beautiful and peaceful place. I'm honestly surprised about this. I expected much worse conditions. If I cared more about photography now, I would have a blast taking all sorts of awesome shots._ She continues to walk until she spots a trio of human-like figures investigating what could be another campsite. She hides behind a tree and watches these figures from a distance. She sees these strange creatures surveying a torn tent and campsite. These creatures stand around 8 feet tall and have lizard or reptilian physical characteristics. They are able to stand on two legs, just like she was told by Sean Prescott. One of the creatures turns around and she gets a good look on their faces.  _They look like...Voldemort from Harry Potter except much taller, skinnier, and they are blue. They're not wearing clothes too. At least they told me the truth about these creatures. I've been told they were hostile so I better keep an eye on my surroundings._ She watches them inspecting and playing with the garbage left behind.  _You know...this would be a great shot to show the class...oh wait. Thank you Jefferson for ruining photography for me._ The snake-like creatures eventually walk away from the campsite and Max rushes to see what else she can find.

 _Now...time to check out this campsite and see if I can find anything._ Max sees remains of a campfire as well as an old torn out tent. She looks inside the tent and discovers more empty food supplies and other useless garbage. She does find another journal entry among the garbage. It's another torn out piece of paper, curled into a paper ball. She starts reading it.  _September 3, 2008. We have tried to return to Earth countless times but we have been unsuccessful so far. The scientists and the person with teleportation powers do not know why their powers and methods suddenly do not work anymore. Lt. Tiang has gone mad. Shepard and Freeman have disappeared since yesterday and most likely have been killed by now. Her Army is vicious and she has them on the hunt for us. The Goliath beast is out there as well. We are now down to six men. We don't know how much longer we can last out here. We're praying to God to get us out of this hell. Our prayers have not been answered yet. -Pvt. Taylor._ Max curls up the paper into a ball again and tosses it out of her sight.  _Not enough useful information besides it mentioning a "teleportation method". I guess the Zodiac Killer wasn't the only one with teleportation powers. They probably used someone with those powers to get these soldiers or group here. That's my only guess. Hopefully I will discover new information along this path._

Max resumes her path through the forest and continues to walk for miles, following the painted symbols. After walking for miles and not finding another campsite, she decides to take a break from walking and sits on a boulder that also has the flag painted on it.  _It's odd...I should feel more tried and hungry but I am not. I'm actually hardly tired at all. I have this great energy and urge within me to just continue on. Maybe it's nervous energy. Who knows what I have to face to leave this place and save the world. I'm glad I haven't come across any hostile creatures._ Max continues to take a breather and observe her surroundings. The sky has become more dimmer. She looks behind her and sees a handgun and shell casings on the floor. She picks up the gun.  _Dammit, now I wish I had more time practice shooting with Chloe. While I do have super powers, knowing how to use a gun could be useful here. For protection of course. I mean...I guess I could practice shooting here. Who's going to watch me fail?_ Max points the gun towards the sky and pulls the trigger and nothing happens.  _I guess it's not loaded. Oh well._

She sees that a half piece of paper was hidden underneath the gun. lt is another journal entry with the same handwriting. She starts to read it:  _September 18, 2008. The last scientist, Dr. Simmons, was killed today by the aliens here. We barely got out from the assault alive. We heard the mother's beast again coming for us, so we immediately retreated deep into the forest to hide. Now that the entire scientist team has been killed, we will have to use the notes and information left behind to hopefully figure out a way to get out of here. Sgt. Hun has-_ the paper is cut off from there.  _It seems that the inhabitants of this world are really hostile...and it mentions a beast again. What the fuck is out here?_  Max tosses the gun and paper aside to resume her journey. Before she starts to walk, she senses danger and the presence of somebody or something watching her. She turns around and sees about a dozen of these lizard like creatures standing behind her. They are all looking at her with their huge snake eyes, observing her from top to bottom trying to figure out what or who she is. They slowly approach her and starts touching her. Max stands her ground and tries her best to stay calm and relaxed. She clenches her fist ready to attack if they try to do any harm to her. They do not seem to be violent or abusive at all, just curious, but they won't let go of her. They are touching and grabbing her everywhere.  _Okay this is getting awkward now..time to make it even more awkward..._

Heyyy guys..." she says aloud with an awkward hand wave.

The reptilian creatures are frightened by Max's voice and they finally let go of her and take several steps back.  _Good...that actually_ _worked out._  All of a sudden, Max feels a migraine developing as she hears the strange voice again inside her head again. "RUN AWAY CHILD. RUN AWAY NOW." Max exclaims in pain and puts her hands on her head.  _Ughhh that voice again. It's been a while since I got a migraine this bad. Run away? Why?_ She takes her hands off her face and sees the creatures again but this time their eyes and facial appearances have changed. Their huge snake eyes have changed to a bright red color. All of them open their mouth exposing their huge fangs and they let out a horrifying screech. Max covers her ears and starts to run away from them. They start chasing her with incredible almost superhuman speed.  _Oh fuck fuck fuck they are so fucking fast!_ Max runs as fast as she possibly can but realizes that they are gaining on her. She closes her eyes and tries to accelerate as much as she can but feels that she is slowing down instead. She re-opens her eyes and sees that she's still running away and is even faster, in fact, it looks like she is hovering over the ground. She turns around and sees that the creatures are still chasing her but they are no longer gaining on her. She realizes that she is running and moving faster than ever before but only felt like she was slowing down.

 _Wowser! I have superhuman speed now._ She is eventually stopped by a collection of thick vines blocking her path. She turns around to face these creatures.  _I didn't want to do this but I have no other choice._  One of them lets out another awful screech and leaps towards her. Max quickly waves her hand and stops it mid-air then slams it towards the group. This angers them even more and they all start to leap at her, exposing their long fangs and claws. Max extends her right hand again and freezes them all mid-air then starts slamming them to the ground and throwing them to the vines. However, this does not stop them from trying to attack her again. They quickly get up and attempt to ambush her again. Max clenches both of her fists and a powerful bright purple aura begins to surround her body. The aura's force repels them away from her and its brightness blinds their eyes forcing them to cover their faces. She notices this and quickly decides to use this opportunity to attack them. With one casual hand wave, an extremely powerful shock wave is released from her hand that causes them be pushed back and sent flying towards the sky as if they were test dummies. She looks up and without even focusing on them, points to the sky and another powerful shock wave is released from her hand that completely disintegrates them. The shock wave has even ripped apart the thick vines that trapped her in, creating a wide opened path. Once she is sure that she has defeated everybody, she lowers her arm and her aura disappears. She looks down at her hands.

 _That was...amazing. So fucking amazing! I really didn't want to kill anybody or any other living thing anymore but I had to do it. They were not giving up. They were going to continue attacking me. What gives me this uncontrollable will to just kill people and living things though without hardly thinking about it? I have become so murderous recently. It has become one of my natural instincts to kill my enemies. This is not me. However, the end will justify the means...at least I sure hope so. Dammit, now I got sidetracked. I have to go back to that boulder again...should be faster and easier now with my new speed powers. I can't believe I wasted so much time just walking around._ Using her new powers, she quickly reaches the boulder again and as soon as she does, she gets another migraine as the voice speaks to her again. "NO...MY CHILDREN...WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"  _Ugh, I'm so not used to that yet. What does she mean by "my children"? Ok...this is getting even more freaky now. She didn't sound very happy at all too..._

Max resumes her journey and breezes through the marked path. Although she is moving in near supersonic speeds, she has total control over her speed and is very aware of her surroundings. Following the symbols, she eventually reaches another campsite right next to a river and a waterfall of purple colored water. This campsite has several ripped tents, fallen tripods, and big pile of wood in the center of it. Max surveys the site and digs through the left over garbage inside the tents. She only finds more empty beer bottles, boxes of 9mm and .22 caliber ammunition, and empty food cans inside two of the tents. Inside the third tent, she finds more garbage but does find a shotgun, a disposable camera, a sketchbook, and a device that resembles a MP3 player or an old cell phone. She looks at the sketchbooks and sees drawings and sketches of the plants, trees,waterfalls, the reptilian creatures, a sketch of a gigantic looking monster, and a sketch of a vortex. They are all drawn pretty well and detailed. She sees that the sketch of the vortex has several comments written: "Teleportation? Where to? Several of them around area. Investigate further." She picks up the device and reads "Linear PCM Recorder" printed on it.  _Hmm...this could be an audio recorder. Gotta check it_  out.

She presses the power button and to her surprise, it boots up. She sees that there is three recordings still saved in it, all of them only around 25-45 seconds long. She decides to play the oldest recording first. She begins to hear a well spoken man speaking in English, with a British accent. "Dr. Simmons reporting in. This is our first night here in this beautiful other world. The creatures, the inhabitants, the environment, the weather, and the sky are quite remarkable here. I can't wait to study more of this world. I was given the honor to give this world an official name, I have not yet decided on one. I do not know exactly why the military has to be involved in such expedition but I won't let their presence getting in the way of science. Today we have truly went beyond a giant leap for mankind".  _Hmm...this must have been one of the scientists that was part of the team. I wonder what the other two recordings say._ She decides to play the second recording which, according to the sound recorder, was recorded a week later. She hears the same man's voice but this time in more concerned and unsure tone of voice. "Dr. Simmons reporting in. It's been a whole week since we have arrived here. I was quiet enjoying this place for the first few days but it has really started to freak me out a bit. Every night, we wake up to hear a very loud cry or roar from an animal or creature out in the woods. The cry sounds like a whale and an elephant mix together. Dr. Elias says that whatever type of creature it is, it must be a very large creature based on how the loud the cry or roar gets. We have not yet discovered a creature beyond 8 feet tall or one that sounds like that. The military folk has become so bored and restless that I'm afraid that they will start killing innocent creatures just for fun. One of the soldiers told me that he has heard strange voices speaking to him and has also started seeing weird inanimate objects speaking to him. I thought he was simply homesick or bored but now even Dr. Elias has reported similar things. We can't leave just yet though, we promised the government a full three week long expedition of this world. We just need to survive another week here. I'm sure it will all be worth it...for science...for mankind." Max sits down to analyze what she just heard the man say.

 _This guy and probably the other doctor had no idea about what was out here. They didn't even know why the military had to join in. And a very large creature making sounds at night? Sounds pretty fucking scary and unreal but nothing should surprise me anymore. He also reported some of the soldiers and even his partner hearing voices and seeing strange things. Gotta play the third recording._ Before she is able to play the third recording, which was recorded only three days later, she once again feels the presence of somebody or something watching her. She gets out of the tent and sees another group of these reptilian creatures surrounding her, this time several saber-tooth tiger looking creatures accompanying them. She puts the sound recorder inside her backpack and gets into a fighting stance.  _Hmmm that was odd...I went to a fighting stance like it was second nature to me. This time I'm going to try to be a bit more diplomatic._

"Listen...I know you're out there. I know what you're doing to my world. I'm here to stop you. I don't want to hurt your creatures or  _children._  I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work. Just come and face me already. I know you can hear me". Max yells out. The creatures remain still, unfazed by Max's words. She continues to look around and sees more of these creatures arriving from the forest and coming out from the river. The voice appears again inside her head, giving her another migraine, "NO...NOT YET CHILD...WE HAVE FUN FIRST..."  _Fun?_  She then realizes that their eyes have turned into a solid gold color and have simultaneously started speaking softly in an unintelligible language.  _What are they doing?_ Caught off guard and before she can properly react, she is hit by gold-colored beams coming from their eyes which causes her to be immobilized.  _Oh fuck what is happening? I can't move!_  A shining gold light appears from the sky, followed by a gold-colored vortex appearing.  _A vortex? What the-_ The vortex hits Max, which makes her black out for a moment.

She quickly regains conscious and realizes that she's no longer at the campsite. She finds herself in the middle of a huge dome like structure completely disposed of what appears to be clay or some kind of rock material.  _What the fuck? What did they do to me? Where am I?_ She checks herself out and sees no injuries or wounds to herself. She checks her backpack and confirms that everything is still in her possession.  _Was I...teleported me here? What the hell? Better get the fuck out of here...I think I see an exit over there._

Max sees an opening on her right side of the dome as she sees light coming from the outside. She starts to use her speed powers to rush out of the dome but suddenly stops as she begins to hear a very loud monster-like roar. The ground beneath her starts to shake and rumble as well. She takes a few steps back as her migraine and the voice returns. "NOW YOU DIE. YOU DIE NOW CHILD"  _What the fuck is happening!?_ She hears the animal's roar even louder as the ground's shaking gets even more intense.  _What the fuck is coming this way? Is it that creature the scientist talked about?_ She starts to notice part of the dome's ceiling beginning to collapse and the right side of the dome get torn apart. She watches as a six-story sized tall silver demonic winged dragon appears before her. The dragon lets out a terrifying roar as soon as it notices Max. The dragon spreads its wide wings which creates a tremendous wind that causes further destruction to the surrounding structure and nearly makes Max lose her balance but she manages stand her ground.  _Holy fucking shit! A motherfucking dragon now!?_ She hears the voice again speaking to her. "HAVE FUN CHILD".

The dragon suddenly takes flight, destroying the rest of the ceiling, and starts to spit out a blue colored plasma beam at Max. She quickly reacts to it and manages to dodge out of the way.  _Jesus! Holy fucking shit! What the hell did I get myself into?_ The plasma beam creates another opening for her to get out of the dome. The dragon roars and starts to spit out another beam at her as she quickly exits out. She looks around her surroundings and realizes that she's in a desert or a in very dry area as there doesn't see to be anything else but rocks and dried up plants. The dragon descends and begins to stomp the ground, creating a small earthquake.  _Don't be afraid Max..that's exactly what she wants. You're been through so much...it won't end here. No way in hell._

Max crosses her arms and stares right at the dragon's blue eyes, appearing unfazed by the earthquake. The dragon growls and starts to spit out another plasma beam but this time towards the sky. She watches the sky and the clouds turn into a bright blue color as countless fireballs starts to fall from the sky with intense speed, all guided towards Max. She extends her right hand and freezes the fireballs in place and then using her left hand, she rewinds time to the point before the dragon shot out the beam at the sky. Before the dragon realizes what happened, she re-directs the fireballs right back at it. The dragon screams in pain from getting hit by its own attack and falls down to the ground for a moment before it gets back up. Angrier than before, it roars again and shoots out another plasma beam directly at her but this time changes direction just before it hits her and forms a fire circle around her to trap her inside. She quickly waves her hands to create a shock wave that blows out the fire with ease. Confused and angry, the dragon takes flight and lunges at Max to kill her with its own bare hands or mouth.

She snaps her fingers to stop time just before the dragon reaches her then quickly gets out of the way before resuming time. The dragon growls as it hits the ground and suffers recoil damage and starts looking for Max in all directions to try to attack her again. The dragon looks behind and sees her and lunges at her again. She does the same as before to dodge the attack. The dragon growls even more in frustration as Max has dodged and countered every one of its attacks. It lets out its loudest terrifying roar yet, takes flight, and starts to charge an attack. It starts to form a gigantic plasma fire ball from its mouth that brightens the sky once more.  _It's charging its final attack. It's time to end this!_ The dragon launches its attack towards Max with tremendous force and speed but Max is able to catch it in mid-air and starts to take control over it before it reaches her. She initially struggles a bit at first to stop it due to the pressure and force coming from it but soon gains total control over it. Max calmly says "Back at you". She pushes the gigantic fireball right back at the dragon, with even greater speed and force, causing it to collapse to the ground. It lets out one last roar then falls on its side, lifeless. She walks towards it to confirm if she has really beaten it and senses no sign of life.  _Holy fucking shit Max. You did it! You defeated it! All by yourself! Wowser! Amazeballs! Max the Ninja strikes again! These powers...are so fucking amazing! I slayed a fucking dragon! But now..where to go from here? I have no idea where I am._

Max starts to look around the desert-looking area she's at and sees a hill or a mountain miles away from her. She decides that this is her best lead and decides to go towards it. Before she gets going, the voice returns to speak to her. "HOW...HOW... COULD YOU HAVE DONE SUCH A THING CHILD? YOU'RE A MONSTER! MORE FUN. MORE FUN FOR YOU". She touches her forehead to attempt to relieve the pain from the migraine.  _It was self-defense lady. Stop calling me a child. These migraines really suck ass. Time for more fun? Oh fuck what's next?_

She sees a bright gold-colored light coming from the sky shining at her. She doesn't feel any pain or hurt but quickly realizes that she's immobilized again.  _Fuck! I can't move! What the hell is going on now?_  Before she can attempt to break free, a gold-colored vortex portal comes down from the sky towards her.  _No! No! Not another portal!_ _Noooooooo!_ The portal reaches her and causes her to black out again for a moment. She regains conscious and slowly opens her eyes and instantly recognizes where she's at.  _For fucks sake, not this place again!_  She hears an unfortunate familiar voice talking:"...Alfred Hitchcock famously called film, "little pieces of time" but he could have been talking about photography, as he likely was. These pieces of time can frame us in our glory and our sorrow; from light to shadows; from color to chiaroscuro. Now can someone give me an example of a photographer who perfectly captured the human condition in black and white? Anybody? Bueller?"  _I'm back here again? What the fuck? How? Oh fuck no!_

**CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 12**


	12. The Past Within The Future

**The Past Within the Future**

* * *

 

  **Monday October 07 2013 ??**

Max is in complete disbelief and speechless that she's back in Mr. Jefferson's class. She's back to the beginning of everything. Everything going on around is the same as she remembers it. The same dialogue,actions, and lecture is going on. However, she takes another careful look around the room and notices something different. There is a blonde girl sitting on the middle table wearing familiar clothing. She takes a good look at her and instantly recognizes her.  _R-Rachel? What the fuck? Rachel Amber! She's alive!? What the fuck is this? What is this place? I mean... I know it's my photography class but Rachel's here! Everybody's here!_ Max tries her best to stay calm and surveys the enite class room to see if there's any other differences. She looks at Kate and notices that she's actually smiling and not looking miserable.  _Kate is...smiling? How? This is before I helped her and prevented her from jumping from the roof. What the hell is going on here? I'm so lost...I was in a different fucking universe now I'm back in my fucking class. Chill Max...chill...take it easy. No fuck that! It's hard not going insane over this._ She looks at herself and sees that she's still wearing the same clothes she was wearing and everything is still in her backpack. She is still wearing the time ring. Jefferson notices that Max is quite uneasy and appears lost and confused.

"Something wrong with you Max? You're acting quite strange. Something the matter?" Jefferson questions Max in a concerned teacher voice. Everybody in the class turns around to look at her, including Rachel who is looking concerned.  _What do I do? What the hell do I say? I need to tell everybody that Jefferson is a psychopath right now. I didn't do it last time but now that I'm here again, I'm going all out!_

"No, nothing is wrong with me. But there is something wrong with you!"

Max says as she stares right into Jefferson's eyes. The rest of the class looks at Max with confused facial expressions. Jefferson is puzzled by Max's words.

"Umm...Max? What are you talking about?" Jefferson folds his arms and questions Max.

"You know damn well know what I'm talking about!" Max slams her fist on her desk.

"I actually don't have a clue Max. I was just giving a lecture until I saw you looking at yourself and acting strange and confused. I was concerned about your behavior and I still am."

"You're a psychopath Jefferson! You kidnapped and drug young girls for your sick and twisted fantasies! You and Nathan Prescott have a weird father-son relationship going on and you two have a secret bunker under a barn!. You killed Rachel Amber and kidnapped Kate after she was drugged at the Vortex Club Party!"

Jefferson doesn't how to react to Max's words and looks at the other students who are puzzled as him.

"Um Max...I'm alive. I'm right here. "Rachel replies to Max with a hand wave and a puzzled face.

"Max...what are you talking about? I wasn't kidnapped and I never been to a vortex club party before. "Kate also replies to Max.

"Maxine...are you okay? You're acting so weird. I never seen you acting so paranoid before. Mr. Jefferson isn't crazy or a murderer. He will never do something like that. He's an excellent teacher! What's wrong with your Max?". Victoria also replies to Max's accusations. Max stands up, points at Jefferson, and speaks to all her classmates.

"That is what he wants you to believe! He is a psychopath and I can prove it! He has a dark room under the Prescott barn just outside the town! He drugged and kidnapped me! He killed my best friend! Rachel and Kate, please don't trust or believe any of his lies!"

Jefferson and the class just look at Max as if she was a crazy lunatic. There's an awkward silence in the room until the school bell rings.

"Max...can I talk to you after class? I'm very concerned about your behavior. Everybody else...just excuse Miss Caulfield's...umm...sudden burst. Don't forget to enter the Every Day Hero contest. You should all know the prize by now. I'll see you all tomorrow."

Max stands awkwardly and watches the rest of the class leave from the room. Rachel whispers to Max and tells her to text her about what is going on with her. Kate gives a brief smile to Max as she leaves the room. Jefferson walks over to Max and crosses his arms.

"May I ask why you said all those things just now? You accused me of murder and kidnapping in front of the class? Why are you acting like this? Did you just wake up from a nightmare or something?"

Max gives a dead look and stares at Jefferson's eyes. "You can fool everybody else Jefferson but you can never fool me. I know who you really are."

"I really don't know what you're talking about Max. I'm not going to accept this type of behavior in my class. I suggest you to get checked by the school's nurse or talk to somebody. I'm going to contact Principal Wells and your parents about what happened today. Despite what happened, I'm still your teacher and I am worried about you. I hope it doesn't happen anymore. Now go on Max. I hope you get your stuff together. I really do."

_What the hell is going on here? Rachel, Kate, and the others were defending Jefferson. Jefferson actually seems genuine. Rachel's alive. Kate looks happy. Victoria called me Maxine. Holy fucking shit! I'm in bizarro's world! Could this be an alternative timeline? Wait a minute...Chloe! She is going to get shot by Nathan soon! I better go to the bathroom right now!_

Max quickly runs out of the room and heads towards the bathroom. On her way there, she notices that everything else looks the same except there is no missing girl posters. She recognizes every single Blackwell student including Alyssa, Brooke, Trevor, and Daniel. She enters the bathroom and hides as usual waiting for Nathan and Chloe to arrive. She waits for minutes and realizes that the butterfly hasn't flown inside yet. She continues to wait longer but they do not show up.  _This is pretty strange, they should have arrived 10-15 minutes ago. I wonder what's going on._ Max exits the bathroom and checks her phone. She realizes that she has Rachel Amber, Rachel Scott, Kate, Victoria, her parents, and other students on her contact list but no Chloe. She checks her text history and sees that Kate, Brooke, Alyssa, and herself are going to go camping this weekend. As she is browsing her phone, she gets a call from Rachel Amber. She answers it.

"Um Hello?"

"Hey Maxo! What's going on with you? Are you okay now? You totally went a bit crazy today in class."

"Oh..hi...Rachel...I'm fine. I'm outside by the girl's bathroom. Oh sorry about that...um...I had a nightmare...don't worry about it. I already apologized to Mr. Jefferson. Just pretend that I never said that. Rachel, I just don't feel good at all right now. Probably sick and light-headed."

"Oh okay that's good that you apologized to him. You kinda freaked me about when you said that he killed me. I was like WTF is she talking about haha. I'm alive girl!"

"Haha...yup..."

"Listen, I'm at my dorm room if you want to hang out. But I understand that you don't feel good right now. I hope you feel better Max!"

"Thanks Rachel. Hey...umm...Rachel..can I ask you a question?"

"Sure thing Max. What's your question?"

"Have you talked to Chloe lately or know where's she at?"

"Chloe?"

"Yes...Chloe.."

"Chloe?..I don't know who you are talking about. I don't know anybody by that name. Unless you mean your old childhood friend Chloe."

"W-what?...Yes...I mean her! Have you talk to her at all?"

"Max...you told me that Chloe passed away 5 years ago. Don't you remember? I couldn't have possibly talked to her recently because she's dead plus I never met her. "

Max drops the phone in complete shock about what she just heard. She remains still, unable to move, and stares at the hallway. Her heart sinks. She is unable to even think right now. She can hear Rachel's voice on the phone saying "Hello? Max? Hellooooo". Her mind is at complete lost. Brooke is walking in the hall and notices Max has dropped her cell phone and picks it up to her.

"Hey Max!You dropped your phone. Whoa...You look really pale and lost...what's going on with you?"

"Uh-nothing. I need to go now. Thanks for picking up my phone Brooke but I can't talk right now. I need to leave now!"

Max grabs the phone from Brooke and runs out of the hallway and exits from the school. Using her speed abilities, she rushes to go to Chloe's house to confirm what Rachel told her.  _Chloe's dead? What the fuck? Rachel is alive but Chloe is dead? What the fuck is this place?_ Appearing nothing more than a blur, she blazes through Arcadia Bay all the way to Chloe's house in mere minutes. She observes the house from the outside and sees it painted bright blue with a colorful vivid garden outside the front door. She clears her throat and knocks on the door expecting the worse. A man opens the door. It is William, Chloe's father. He appears not too happy to see her at all.

"What are you doing here Max?" William talks to Max in an annoyed and angry tone of voice. He gives her a mean unwelcome look as well.

"Hi..William...I wanted to see Chloe...and pay you and Joyce a visit..."

"How  _dare_  you show up to our house after all this time without permission? We agreed with you and your parents that we would cease all communication between us after what happened. You should know better than anybody that Chloe's no longer with us. We don't want to see you here anymore. Please Max, just leave. Just looking at you brings back horrible memories." William is about to close the door until Max puts her foot inside to stop the door from closing. Her eyes are getting watery.

"William...please I don't remember at all what happened! I need to know what happened to Chloe. She's was my gir-best friend for life. I love her very much."

"What kind of game you're playing Max? Best friends don't do what you did. It will be your best interest to leave now."

"NO! I NEED TO KNOW! PLEASE TELL ME! I SERIOUSLY DONT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!" Max angrily shouts to William as tears are flowing from her eyes.

"You seriously don't remember? You don't remember what you did?"

"No...I don't remember at all. I'm suffering from amnesia or something. I'm all lost and confused. Please...just tell me..and I'll leave right after. I promise! Chloe was my number one priority and I never would have done something to harm her. "

"I really shouldn't let you inside but I can tell you're being genuine and sincere. You're lucky that Joyce isn't here, she wouldn't allow this at all. She wouldn't want to deal with you at all. I'll tell you what happened five years ago. However, if you're playing games and are just playing around then I'll have no choice but to kick you out and speak with your parents. Do you understand?"

"Yes, William."

"OK, step inside and take a seat."

William lets Max inside and she looks around the house. It looks identical to the Chloe's house from the alternative reality where she was confined to a wheelchair. Except, they seem to be better off financially wise as they have a huge flat screen TV, new furniture and appliances, and even new blue painted walls. She walks to the desk that has a photo of a young Chloe smiling with her parents at the beach. Another photo of Chloe giving the peace sign while at the park is also on the desk. She take a seat at the table, which is an upgrade from the table they had on any other reality, and waits for William to sit down with her. William gets a glass of water for the two of them and he sits down and starts to talk. He begins speaking in a normal tone of voice but his voice gradually gets sadder.

"So you really don't remember anything at all then about what happened five years ago?"

"No, I don't William. I have no idea what's happening right now. I feel like I'm in a dream or a nightmare. Please tell me what happened to Chloe." Max begins to sob.

"Alright Max, I will tell you what happened to Chloe. Five years ago, on Chloe's 13th birthday party that we hosted at a water park, something unimaginable happened. Chloe was having such blast with you and her other friends at the water park. Everybody was having a good time. I remember that Joyce and I were sitting with your parents just talking and watching you guys playing by the pool. In the corner of my eyes, I saw you strangle Chloe by the neck and push her into the pool. You strangled and drowned her Max. You wouldn't let go of her at all. It took nearly all of us to pull you away from her. It happened so fast, we didn't what to do or how to react. The lifeguard performed CPR and we called 911 but she was pronounced dead at the scene. You took her away from us Max. You never explained or told anybody why you did it. They sent you to several psychiatrists and therapists but none of them could figure out what made you do it. We miss her every day Max. Such a beautiful girl with so much potential was taken away from us. The pain hasn't gone away at all. Burying your own daughter is the worst thing that can happen to a parent. I think you should go now Max. I told you everything you needed to hear."

Max puts her hands on her face and turns her head in disbelief.  _I couldn't have killed her. There's no way I would kill Chloe. This is not true! This is not real!_  She starts to develop a massive headache and starts hearing Chloe's voice and screams inside her head. "STOP IT MAX! WHY ARE YOU DOING! LET GO OF ME! I CAN'T...I CAN'T BREATH!"  _Chloe?_  She begins to see images of her strangling Chloe by the neck and drowning her. She enters into a dream like sequence or a vision. She sees herself strangling Chloe and pushing her into the pool. She sees Chloe trying her best to take her hands off her neck and pleads for her to let her go. She hears the horrifying screams of kids and the people around them and sees her parents trying to pull her away from Chloe. She keeps a firm grip on Chloe's neck and watches her drown to her death. She gets a good look of Chloe's frighten face and lifeless body floating as they finally managed to get her off Chloe. She looks around and sees several of shocked faces and William and Joyce crying as the lifeguard is performing CPR on Chloe. The vision and images end abruptly with a close up of Chloe's strangled face.  _No no no no no! This is impossible! I couldn't have killed her! I couldn't have! I would never do that! What the hell is going on? I have memories of it happening? It felt so real...like it actually happened. I remember it happening! But that's impossible! No way this is real! I refuse to believe any of this!_

Max looks back at William, who is looking sorrow and giving her a mean look.

"Max...please leave now before Joyce comes home."

"Listen William, I don't know what the hell is going on. I would never hurt Chloe, yet alone kill her. She is my best friend for life. I love her very much..I.-"

"Stop it Max. Just stop it. Please go now! I told you already what happened! There's nothing else for you here."

"William... _please_..I couldn't have..I'm sorry..."

"SORRY DOESN'T CUT IT MISSY!"

William shouts to Max with a scary deep pitch voice. She suddenly realizes that she has shrunk in size as the world around her has become pitch black. Joyce appears out of nowhere as well and both of them look down to her.

"YOU KILLED MY DAUGHTER MAX! YOU TOOK HER AWAY FROM ME!" Joyce yells and points towards Max.

"NO! JOYCE! I COULDN'T HAVE! PLEASE BELIEVE ME!" Max looks away from them and goes into a defensive position, scared and confused about what's going on.

"YOU KILLED OUR DAUGHTER MAX! YOUR APOLOGY IS USELESS! YOU DON'T KNOW THE PAIN WE HAVE SUFFERED THANKS TO YOU! I'M NEVER GOING TO SEE MY DAUGHTER DRIVE HER FIRST CAR, GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL, AND BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE! ALL THANKS TO YOU! YOU'RE A MURDERER MAX!"

"That's not true! It's all lies!" Max shouts to them and begins to run away. However, there doesn't seem be anywhere to run to. There's nothing but darkness all around her. Screams from the children and Chloe's cries for help are still echoing inside her head. She continues to run in the darkness as Joyce and William keeps shouting at her about the fact that she killed Chloe.  _What is this place? Is this Hell? Am I going insane? Is this another reality I'm in?_ _All these voices and screams...they're fucking scary. They are not stopping though._ Max stops running and takes a deep breath, closes her eyes, and tries to be as calm as possible.  _I went through and survived a nightmare before and I can do it again! It feels more real this time though. You must stay strong and brave Max. You just slayed a fucking dragon! This should be nothing to you now! You know you didn't kill Chloe. Chloe is alive. These voices will go away. These voices will go away. These voices will go away. Just think of you and Chloe being_  together.  _Think happy thoughts._ Max remembers the kiss they had during the meteor shower and all the moments they had together in the original timeline. A smile appears on her face as she is thinking of these moments and the voices are starting to fade away from her head. She opens her eyes and sees the spirit doe appearing before her. The spirit doe looks at Max and starts to run away. Max decides to follow it amid the darkness, which leads her to another vortex portal. The doe turns to glare at Max and walks inside the vortex.  _Another vortex? It went inside it. It's telling me to follow it and enter as well. What will happen next...whatever it may be...I will overcome it!_

Max closes her eyes and slowly enters the vortex...


	13. The Future within the Past

**The Future Within The Past**

* * *

 

**DATE UNKNOWN**

Max opens her eyes slowly and tries to see what is around her to figure out where's at. She feels like she has just woken up from a long night of sleep. She is unable to make out where she's at as her vision is impaired. She realizes that she's laying down on a bed and it seems to be night time. She hears an air conditioner unit running in the background. She tosses and turns and puts her hand on her forehead. She feels a light headache. Despite this, she feels comfortable and at ease, feelings that she hasn't felt in a while.  _Ugh...I feel so tired and sleepy...was that all a_  dream? _Was it all really just a dream?_  Max yawns and closes her eyes and tucks herself in trying to go back to sleep.  _What crazy dreams I had tonight. I'm glad that I'm safe and sound with Chloe in her room._ As she's trying to go back to sleep she feels an arm around her who is holder her tight.  _That's my Chloe...her arms are so comforting and strong too!_ Max sits up and rubs her eyes to take a good look at Chloe's face. When she turns around to look at the person laying next to her, she realizes that she's not sleeping with Chloe or anybody she recognizes. It is a man, probably in his 20's or early 30's who is sleeping besides her. Max immediately jumps from the bed and screams out loud in horror. She hits her shoulder on the nightstand next to the bed causing a sharp pain at first but it quickly disappears. Her screams wakes the man up as he too jumps from the bed and turns on the room's lights in a panic.

"Max! What's wrong honey? You heard something? You saw something? What's going on? Is somebody breaking in?"

Max is breathing heavily and stares at the man talking to her. He is a 6'1 or 6'2 tall man with brown eyes and black hair with an average built. He appears to be white but could be bi-racial. He speaks in a standard American accent. He is looking directly at Max waiting for her response. Max just stares at him back.

"What is it honey? Why did you scream?"

"WHO ARE YOU!?" Max replays with such panic and confusion in her voice.

" _Who_  am I? Max? What's wrong with you?" The man walks up to Max and tries to get a hold of her but Max steps aside and keeps a distance away from him.

"Who are you?" Max once again asks.

"Max...did you just had a nightmare or something? Wait a minute...where did you get that outfit from? I never seen you wearing that before. Why are you wearing a backpack? What's up with the bullet necklace? I never seen you wearing that either. Max, you're acting so strange right now. Your clothes, your face....What's wrong with you? What happened?"

"Answer my fucking question dude! Who are you? Where am I? What is this place?" Max's words confuses the man in front of her. He once again tries to approach her but Max once again steps aside to avoid him.

"Max...you're scaring me. You never acted this way before. Please tell me what's wrong with you."

"Answer my questions dude. I have no fucking idea who you are or where I'm at. Answer them or else I'll scream so loud or call the police. Please stay away from me too!"

Max opens her backpack and grabs the switch blade she obtained earlier and points it towards the man. The man puts his hands up and keeps his distance from her.

"Okay Max okay...take it easy now please..."

"I won't ask you again...who are you? Where am I?"

"I'm Eric...your fiance. We're at our house in Seattle. We're going to get married less than a month from now. We met at U-dub. C'mon Max, you know me. You know us". Eric smiles at Max but it doesn't comfort her at all.

Max widens her eyes in shock and drops to the ground. She almost faints but is able to stay conscious. Eric tries to approach her but she raises the blade at him which stops him in his tracks.  _Fiance? U-dub? What the fuck? What is the fuck is this?_  She starts to experience shortness of breath and looks all over the room she's in. She sees that she is inside a huge bedroom with a king sized bed with several well known paintings hanging in the walls, a 65 inch TV besides her, a huge opened closet with countless clothes, suits, heels, shoes, and robes. There's a huge luxurious bathroom to the left of her too.  _I never been to this house or room before. I never met this guy before. This room is even fancier and bigger than the Prescott's! What the fuck is going on?_

 _"_ Max...please put the knife down before somebody gets hurt. Do you want to me to take you to the hospital or call 911? I'm really worried about you!"

Max abruptly stands up, still pointing the blade at Eric, and decides to get more information from him.

"U-dub? What's  _that_?"

"University of Washington. I studied bio-engineering. You studied photography. We met about 4 years ago. We met at the campus main library. It was love at first sight. You said it yourself. Please...Max...please tell me that you are starting to remember things now."

"No...not at all. That can't be true, I never went to the University of Washington! I lived in Seattle for a while but I moved back to my home town Arcadia Bay, Oregon to attend Blackwell Academy so I can photography. None of this is true. It can't be true!"

"It is the truth Max. Blackwell Academy? What are you talking about? You never been to Oregon as far as I know. Let me show you proof that I'm telling you the truth. Hopefully you'll start to remember."

Eric steps back and goes to the night stand and retrieves his cellphone and wallet. He turns on his phone but in the meantime shows Max a photo of the two of them at the Space Needle from his wallet. Max takes the photo away from him and looks at it carefully. She sees Eric and herself holding each other and smiling with downtown Seattle in the background. She starts to hear voices, including herself and his, from focusing on the photo and instantly drops it to avoid going back in time.  _That's really me. I look...so happy...and in love? What the shit?_  Eric begins to show other photos of the two of them on his phone. She sees selfies and posed photos of the two of them around Seattle and other famous cities and landmarks around the world. Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Paris, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Veracruz, London, and New York. She briefly remembers some of these events as if she actually experienced them before. She remembers the two of them holding hands while walking on a beach, boarding flights, having a drink together at a bar, and meeting each other in the library.

"Do you remember now Max?"

Max sits down the ground and trying to stay calm as much as possible. Her eyes are moving all over the place. Her mindset is at complete lost once again.  _What kind of alternative reality is this? Is this a dream? A dream within a dream? The future within the past? I need to know more._ Max gets up, still pointing the blade at him, and begins to ask more questions to obtain information.

"Do you know who Chloe is?"

"I don't personally know anybody named Chloe. You never mentioned a Chloe to me before either."

"So I never been to Oregon?"

"No, not as far as I know. You never told me you ever been there before. You were born and raised in Seattle as far as I know. I met and know your parents well...they never have mention Arcadia Bay or Oregon before either. "

"What date is it!? What year!?"

"December 19, 2020. Jesus Max...you're asking such weird questions!"

"Shut up! Just answer them!"

"Okay Max...okay...please drop the knife and I'll answer all the questions you want!"

"That's not going to happen mister."

_2020? What the fuck? How am I in the future? Wait, if I'm in the future...does that mean the future is safe? That other worldly being didn't kill us off? There's no storm? There's no crazy shit going on? I need to ask him._

_"_ Was there any crazy unexplained weather or environmental disasters lately or ever? Do you know if a tornado ever destroyed Arcadia Bay?"

"There's been hurricanes and earthquakes recently but nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing too big. No, I've never heard of Arcadia Bay or know of a tornado hitting the state of Oregon in decades! What's up with these questions!?"

"The world is safe? No nuclear war? No alien invasion? No apocalypse?"

"None of that Max. The world is fine. We're safe. Please...everything is fine with us and our families. I don't why you are acting like this. Seems like you're having a panic attack or suffering from amnesia. You're a well known successful photographer. We are happily engaged. We lived in a luxurious 3 story house that we already own. We have so much planned for the future. Please let me take you to a doctor or an urgent care. I'm really worried about you."

"No, you will not do such thing. I need to leave. I need to find my best friend Chloe. That's all I care about right now."

"Your best friend Chloe? Max, you don't know a Chloe! Where are you going? It's 12 in the morning! "

"I'm going to Arcadia Bay, Oregon. My hometown, where I was born! I'm leaving right now"

"Right now? But that is crazy Max! Please...you need help! I'm going to call 911. You're clearly not feeling too well. You need to be checked out."

"NO!" Max says loudly.

Max snaps her fingers to stop time before he can call 911. She grabs his phone from his hand, avoiding any physical contact, and browses his phone for more information.  _This phone looks more advanced and has tons of apps and features I never seen or heard before. There is not much difference between my smart phone and his though. It looks better and has a more slim smooth built but that's about it._

She looks through more photos of him and two of them together.  _This must be a different reality or timeline. He said that I have never mentioned the name Chloe to him before and said that I never been to Oregon. Could this possibly mean that I never met Chloe? Was I never born in Arcadia Bay in this timeline or reality? I better find out what the fuck is going on in this_   _timeline._ She puts his phone and the switch blade inside her backpack and goes to the nightstand. She sees a purse besides the bed and looks inside and find her future phone and money. She examines and picks up her phone and takes all the cash and credit cards she can find.  _I don't care what I have to do or how much it costs me. I need to find out what's going on with Chloe. Maybe...Maybe I'll call her. I know her number! I sure hope she still has kept it the same._

She dials Chloe's number but it is now disconnected and no longer works.  _Dammit! Well...maybe I'll check Facebook if that is still around and look for Chloe Price._ She does find the Facebook app and searches for Chloe Price but with few results and none of them matching her appearance or features.  _Damn no luck! Maybe...Facebook isn't so popular anymore. I'll try a google search. She googles Chloe Price and comes up with few results again but does find a promising result. It's a google image of Chloe wearing some special beautiful and expensive white dress posing in a shot at a garden or at a park. Max recognizes her beautiful face. Chloe's hair is back to her natural blonde. She is happily smiling and posing for the camera._ She decides to dig deeper and tries to look for more images or links about Chloe. She finds a link to a wedding gallery site with Chloe Price mentioned in it. She feels her heart sink and expects the worse. She browses the galleries of multiple weddings from different couples until she finds the one with Chloe. She reads the title of the gallery. "The Wedding of Chloe Price and Nathan Prescott"

Max drops the phone in shock and nearly collapses.  _Chloe...marrying Nathan? WHAT THE FUCK! NO WAY IN HELL! THIS CANNOT BE REAL!_ Max picks up the phone and views the wedding photos of Chloe and Nathan. There are hundreds of photos of the wedding. It seem to have been taken place in a cliff by some ocean. She sees some familiar faces from Arcadia Bay and Blackwell students such as Kate, Brooke, Taylor, Victoria, and various people she has seen around town attending the wedding. She also sees Sean Prescott as well as Joyce and William. They are all happy and smiling. She looks at one last picture of Nathan and Chloe exchanging vows. They look extremely happy together. Chloe looks like a Disney princess. There's a tear coming down Chloe's eye in the photo. It is not a sad tear, but a happy tear. Nathan is well dressed for the occasion and is looking at Chloe with such admiration and love. Max is unable to take it anymore and destroys the phone with her powers. The phone gets erased from existence.  _Chloe and Nathan together? What the fuck? How...how could this be? I need to go to Arcadia Bay right now!_

Max gathers everything and rewinds time all the way back before she woke Eric up. She realizes that her future phone does not return from being destroyed but she simply overlooks this and gets out of the room. She resumes time and walks down the stairs, briefly checking out her multi-story house as quietly as possible.  _Wowser...this is a huge house. He told me that I was a well known photographer. I see a lot of good pictures and paintings in the walls. Looks like we have our own gallery here. Wow! There's a cabinet full of trophies and awards! Wowser, most of them are awarded to me. I have won tons of photography contests from the looks of it. There are dozens photos of me holding the trophies next to Eric and the judges. Damn, I have met such famous photographers around the world as well. I'm actually...successful...in this timeline. Never mind that now! I need to go to Chloe! Now! I need to go to the airport! Despite my speed powers, it will take me a while to get to Arcadia Bay and plus I don't think I know exactly how to get there by foot or by kicking the air_.

Using Eric's phone, she calls for a Uber to take her to the Seattle-Tacoma International airport. She leaves the house and waits for her ride to arrive. She looks around her and checks out the neighborhood. It's quite a beautiful upper class neighborhood with multi-story houses all around her. She looks up to look at the night sky and look at the bright full moon.  _Despite what's going on with Chloe...this place and timeline seems to be more peaceful and better... I am a successful photographer, my fiance is a bio engineer, we live in a luxurious house in upper class Seattle, and the world is safe. There is no danger here. This place...isn't so bad. No Max! A future without Chloe isn't something you want or need! None of this shit matters if I don't have Chloe besides me._ She gets a notification on her phone that her Uber is arriving soon. Her ride arrives shortly afterwards and picks her up. The driver tries to make small talk with her but Max is not interested in having any conversation with a stranger right now. Her mind is completely somewhere else.  _Wait...I need to make sure Chloe even lives in Arcadia Bay anymore. Ugh...I may have to look her up under Chloe Prescott...gross._ On the drive to the airport, she looks up 'Chloe Prescott' and finds multiple links and social media profiles. Dozens of pictures of Chloe and Nathan are online. It appears that Nathan is now the owner of the entire Prescott real estate business as well as the Arcadia Bay fishing business and sees that Chloe is the CEO of the Prescott foundation. Max can't stop looking at Chloe's smile and apparent happiness with Nathan in the photos. Nathan doesn't look crazy or an asshole at all, he looks like a well respected and handsome man.  _This is crazy...this timeline's Chloe is actually pretty well off as well. They appear to be so happy together and so wealthy...but they do not look like stereotypical rich assholes. I see tons of charity work and fundraisers linked to them. Looks like the company's headquarters are still at Arcadia Bay. Arcadia Bay looks better as well from all these photos on Google images. Looks like the two of them have really shake things up. This is so bizarre._

The Uber drops off Max at the airport and she directly heads towards one of the ticket attendants.

"Hello...I would like to buy a ticket to Portland for an emergency flight immediately."

"You're in luck ma'am. There's one seat available in the next departing flight to Portland. However, the ticket costs $750. Do you want to book it?"

"Yes, I don't care how much it costs. Here you go." Max presents her future photo ID and credit card.

"Thank you...Max Caulfield? Oh my...You're Max Caulfield! I seen your photography work around. I've gone to the SNAP Photography festival that featured your work. You're really great! I can't believe it's you. Oh my gosh."

"Oh...yeah...it's nice meeting fans who appreciate my work heh..."

"Here you go. Your flight leaves in an hour and a half! Go to your right to get cleared by security then just wait by gate 58. I notice that you don't seem to carry much luggage...not that it is any of my business."

"No, I only have my backpack with me. That's all I need right now."

"Well then...have a nice and safe flight to Portland Miss Caulfield. It was great meeting someone with such amazing talent!"

'Oh..thank you...take care.."

Max grabs the ticket and heads towards the security screening line. To avoid any possible problem or interaction, she snaps her fingers to stop time and passes through the security checkpoint. She takes a seat by her flight gates and resumes time ready to go to Portland and then Arcadia Bay to pay a visit to her number one priority...Chloe Price...well... Chloe Prescott in this timeline.  _Ugh I hate waiting. Maybe I'll actually try the forward time feature of the time ring._

**CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 14**


	14. Let Her Go

**Let Her Go**

* * *

 

 

**Saturday December 19, 2020**

Using the time ring's ability to forward time for the first time, she waits less than a minute until her flight arrives.  _Wowser! Forwarding time is really cool! Just like rewinding time but a bit faster, it's like the time turner effects in Harry Potter!_ She boards her flight and takes a seat on her assigned seat. As she's waiting for her flight to depart, Max begins to ponder about the world around her.

_This simply cannot be a dream or a nightmare. Well, all this crazy shit about Chloe marrying Nathan and me being engaged to a man is nightmare fuel but this is not simply a dream. I briefly felt pain when I hit my shoulder on the nightstand back in the house. This is definitely another alternative reality or timeline. But how is this even possible? How am I being sent back in an alternative past then sent to an alternative future right afterwards? Why did the doe lead me here? This is truly a mindfuck. How the fuck do I have memories of events that I never experienced? Stop thinking about this shit Max. I just have to focus on the mission and visiting this timeline's Chloe otherwise I'll just go crazy. I'm going to speed things up a bit again. It's going to be trippy though, being on a plane, but I absolutely cannot wait at all._

As soon as the plane takes flight, Max uses the time ring to forward time to make it a short trip. Once she notices that her flight has landed in Portland, she lets go of the time ring to resume time to normal speed. She also realizes that the man sitting next to her is staring at her with a strange look on his face. Max looks back at him.

"What?"

"I can't help but notice that you were just staring into nothingness and holding your ring the entire trip. You just sat there and was frozen still . I don't even think you were breathing at all. You didn't move a muscle. Pretty weird I must say."

"Yeahm I'm pretty weird. Mind your own fucking business though!".

"How rude. Damn. Weirdo."

The man stands up, take his belongings, and walks away in disgust.

_He's the weirdo. He was staring at me all this time? Creep. Anyways, time to leave the airport and go back to Arcadia Bay...again._

Max gets up and leaves the plane. She stops time and uses her speed abilities to get out the airport as fast as possible. She resumes time and approaches a parked taxi driver.

"Hello sir, I would like a ride please."

"Sure! Where to miss?"

"Arcadia Bay."

"Arcadia Bay? That's almost a two hour trip from here! It's going to be a hefty sum, especially at this time. Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Don't worry."

"Hop right in then. I'll take you."

Max gets into the cab.

"Thank you sir. Oh, by the way, if I don't say a word or do anything please don't worry. There's nothing wrong with me. I just like to space out sometimes. I have a lot on my mind right now. So please don't be alarmed."

"Ummm...okay miss. Whatever you say. I guess I won't talk to you at all. Do you have a specific address for your destination?"

"Yes, 44 Cedar Ave Arcadia Bay, Oregon."

"Very well. Lets go."

The taxi rider drives Max out of the airport. To speed things up again, she uses the time ring to forward time. In just two minutes, she makes it to Arcadia Bay. She lets go of the ring as soon as she is about to reach 44 Cedar Ave, Chloe's home address in all the timelines she has entered. She pays the driver and gets out of the cab. She observes the house from the outside and immediately realizes that it's completely different from any other timeline. In fact, it looks abandoned. Max knocks on the front door but gets no response. She keeps knocking but nobody answers the door. She looks through the window and can't make out anything inside. She blasts the door open and steps in to take a look.

It is completely abandoned and messy. No sign of life or sign of anybody living there. She goes upstairs and enter's Chloe room only to find nothing inside it. Taking a closer look, she makes out some traces of Chloe's printed phrases, however just barely. She makes out a "Hole to another universe" and "I CAN'T SLEEP" printed on the walls where she remembers them to be.

_This definitely was Chloe's room at one point. Looks like they moved out ages ago. Chloe and Nathan must have their own mansion by now. Just looking at this emptiness makes me so sad and...lonely. This whole shit is giving me depression. I can't dwell too much here. I need to pay a visit to Prescott Headquarters. If Chloe is the CEO of the company, she should be there in a workday._

Using her fiance's phone, she looks up the address of the Prescott industry and heads directly over there with her speed abilities. It's a large eight story building, built near the Blue Whales Diner. Before she enters the building, which is called "Prescott Industries", she takes a good look at the diner and surrounding houses and buildings. She also observes the citizens of Arcadia Bay walking past her and on the streets.

_The diner is totally remodeled. Looks more modern while still keeping the classic 50's image of a normal diner. Definitely an upgrade. Arcadia Bay doesn't look like a hick town or a dump anymore. Chloe and... I guess Nathan... did an excellent job remodeling the town. The people here...look so happy and cheerful. They seem to be much better off. This timeline or reality...is so much better than the one I'm from. At least for Arcadia Bay. Now...time to pay a visit to Chloe._

Max enters the building and approaches the lobby's receptionist. She recognizes the receptionist as Stella Hill from Blackwell.

"Hi Stella. Is Chloe Price...I mean  _Mrs. Prescott_  available?"

"How do you know my name?"

"You have a name tag on you Stella."

"Oh yes. Silly me. I'm actually new here. It's my first week, excuse me. Anyway, yes she is present but she's in a meeting until the afternoon. You will need to have an appointment with her anyway. Do you have an appointment? Are you an investor, business partner, or a family friend or... "

"No, I don't have an appointment Stella and no I'm not an investor or anything like that. You can say that I am a friend of Chloe's."

" Really? I known Chloe since we graduated from Blackwell but I don't recall ever seeing you around."

"I'm a long distance friend."

"Oh, I see. Anyways, she is not available period. You will need to come back later or I can book an appointment for you right now. However, Mrs. Prescott's executive assistant needs to approve the appointment first. What's the reason for your appointment?"

_Ugh enough of this shit._

_"_ Stella...please. Can you just tell me which floor Chloe's office is located?"

"Top floor. There's only two offices and a meeting room in the top floor. Hers is on the left. Her husband's, Nathan, is on the right."

"Thank you."

Max walks away from the lobby front desk and goes to the elevators.

"Wait hold on! You can't go up there without authorization! Security won't let you in!"

"I have to go up there Stella. It's very important."

"No! You can't! I'm calling security!"

Max snaps her fingers to stop time and steps inside the elevator. Inside, she rewinds time all the way back to a point in time before her conversation with Stella. She resumes time and presses the elevator button to go to the top floor. Max starts to get nervous and starts to experience shortness of breath as the elevator takes her to the top floor. She reaches the top floor, the elevator doors open, and she sees a split hallway in front of her. She heads down the left path and walk towards Chloe's huge office. Her office has glass doors and Max can tell that the office have its own receptionist and front office staff. The staff sees Max walking towards the office as she enters it. One of the front office staff begins to question Max.

"Excuse me, who are you? There's no scheduled appointment for the CEO today."

"I'm her friend. I need to see her now. It's important. Where is she?"

"She's in a meeting right now. She's not available."

"I need to see her  _now_. It's really urgent!"

"Sorry, we cannot interrupt Mrs. Prescott at this time. If you like, you can take a seat over there and we can ask her once she comes out from the meeting to see if she wants to see you. However, it is very unlikely that she sees anybody without an appointment."

"Where's the meeting at?"

"It's in her office. Please either take a seat or come back at another time. I don't know why the main lobby or security allowed you up here."

Max gets frustrated and tries to see if there's any way around this.  _I mean I could use my powers and blast open the door but that would cause unnecessary destruction and might make Chloe scared and run away. That won't be good. I can forward time until she's out of the meeting but there's no guarantee that I would see her or that they would allow me to see her. I could force my way in there but I really don't want to harm or hurt anybody. Plus, I don't want Chloe to feel uncomfortable. I also don't want to talk to her during my Time Stop ability. That would freak her out. Dammit what should I do?_

"Listen Ma'am, please leave your name and number and we will give to Mrs. Prescott. It will be her choice to call you back or not. There's nothing else we can do for you at this time. If you're really that desperate to talk to her then wait and she should step out to lunch in an hour from now but of course, she probably won't see you or will simply ignore you. It could be your only chance without an appointment. I do not recommended it at all though."

_Hmmm...what to do what to do. Wait a minute. I'm famous in this timeline! Supposedly. Even if Chloe and I never met in this timeline, she has to know who I am at least by name! Maybe if I say who I am, they might change their attitude towards me!_

_"_ Do you have any idea who I am?" Max asks the receptionist as she crosses her arms.

"No idea." The reception responds with a smug look and smile.

"I'm Max Caulfield. Famous photographer. I'm interested in shooting here in Arcadia Bay. Maybe even host a photography festival here. "

"Wait a minute, you're Max Caulfield?" Another staff member overhears the conversation and approaches Max.

"Yes, I am!" Max gives a nod and smiles.

"What's somebody like you doing here in Arcadia Bay?"

"As I told the lady here, I'm interested in hosting a photography festival here and doing some shooting of the town and its people. Of course, the Prescott couple as well. I merely want to speak with the CEO of the Prescott Industries to see if we can coordinate something together."

"I believe Mrs. Prescott would be very thrilled by your ideas. I'm sure they told you that she's in a meeting but I will definitely let her know right now that you're right here and that you want to speak to her. Mrs. Prescott is very interested in art and photography. I believe I have heard her referencing your work before."

"I would appreciate that very much. I'll take a seat here and wait. Please let me know."

The clerk goes back to her office and the front office receptionist resumes her work as Max takes a seat. The clerk comes out of the office two minutes later to let her know that Chloe did agree to speak to her right after her meeting is over and before she steps out for lunch.

_Holy shit that worked perfectly! Now I have to wait is an hour to talk to her. It's good thing I can speed things up. Probably will only need to hold it for a second._

Max holds the ring's speed gem for a second to speed up time. She sees a group of older looking men with suits and briefcases stepping out from Chloe's office. She gets a brief glimpse of Chloe as she says goodbye to the business men. Max's heart begins to pound and starts to get nervous again.

_It's almost time._

She hears the receptionist's phone ring and overhears her say "Got it boss. I'll let her know."

"Miss Caulfield, our boss is ready for you. She's very excited to talk to you. Go right in."

"Thank you."

Max takes a deep breath and opens Chloe's office doors and sees Chloe sitting in front of her desk. Her office is huge, similar but bigger than Principal Well's office in Blackwell, with artwork hanging on the walls. Max sees photos of Nathan and her, her family, his family, and photos of small children all over her desk. Her entire office is all top-notch and pricey. Chloe is looking at Max, smiling at her and expressing curiosity. Chloe has her natural beautiful blonde hair tied in a bun. She's wearing a suit, looking so professional and beautiful at the same time. Chloe suddenly gets up from her chair and offers Max a handshake which Max gladly shakes.

"It's nice to meet you Max Caulfield. I have heard of you and seen your photography work before. Consider me a fan. I don't know why somebody like you would pay us a visit out of nowhere. I heard you want to host a photography festival here in Arcadia Bay. Nathan and I are quite intrigued about your idea. It's always nice for Arcadia Bay to get more exposure and tourism. I like the bullet necklace you're wearing by the way. "

Max can't stop looking at Chloe's eyes and smile and is too distracted to come up with a response.  _Chloe...is so damn beautiful and different from the Chloe I know. This is so damn bizarre._

Chloe starts to get creepy vibes from Max and breaks the awkward silence.

"So Miss Caulfield...about your idea..."

"Oh yes...Chloe...t-that's my idea." Max stutters and struggles to come up with a proper response.

"Tell me more about it. When do you want to host it? Are you planning to collaborate with other artists and photographers?"

"Well...actually..I wanted to ask you a few questions first and know more about you and Arcadia Bay."

"Umm...okay sure. What do you want to know?" Chloe remains professional and calm despite the strange vibes she's getting from Max.

"H-have we ever met before?"

"No, I don't believe so. I have heard of you but we havenever met."

"Oh I see. Were you born and raised in Arcadia Bay?"

"Yes, I was born in Arcadia Bay and my parents raised me here. We never really left. I love this town so much."

"Your parents? Joyce and William?"  _Oh shit oops._

"Yes...How do you know my parent's names by the way?"

"I read it online somewhere..."

"Oh, I see. Why are you asking me these questions? What does it have to do with your festival idea?"

"I just want to know you better. I read some things about you online but I just find you a very interesting business woman and I do admire how you improved and remodeled Arcadia Bay and its economy. It's really inspiring."

"Thank you Miss Caulfield for the compliments. Growing up, it always pained me watching my family and the rest of the town struggle financially. I hated when kids from other schools or from other cities called Arcadia Bay a dump. I told myself one day that I would try my best and hardest to not only improve my and my family's lives, but the rest of the town. When I met my husband, Nathan Prescott, at Blackwell Academy, that dream and goals started to become true. Nathan came from the richest but most corrupt family in town. We didn't like each other very much in the beginning but as the years passed by...we got close and the rest is history. Nathan and his family credits me about changing their ways and making them see the light. They started to share their wealth with others and started to re-built the town. I could go on all day but I don't want to bore you with details."

"No-it's okay. I could listen to you talk all day."  _Dammit Max, stop being so awkward._

Chloe blushes and smiles for a moment before composing herself.

"So Miss Caulfield...what else do you want to know about me?"

Max thinks to herself what to say or do.  _Okay Max. No amount of rewind powers will make this conversation any better or make more sense to her. I just have to go right at it. I need to tell her who I am and where I'm from. I'm probably going to freak her out but I can always rewind this entire conversation so she won't even remember it. I just want to know her reaction on what I'm about to say to her. Here we go._

Max suddenly stands up and grabs Chloe by her hands.

"Excuse me, what are you doing?" Chloe is caught off guard.

"Chloe listen to me! I know you won't believe a word that is about to come out from my mouth but just listen OK?"

"What's this? Let go of me!"

"Sorry Chloe, I cannot. I won't let you go. Do you see this bullet necklace? It's yours."

"I do not understand."

"It's your own necklace Chloe. You gave me it. Chloe, I'm from another timeline, A timeline which you and I are lov-best friends for life. We known each other since childhood. We have gone through so much shit together that you won't believe. I can prove it to you! I know a lot of you!"

Chloe struggles to escape Max's hold on her and starts to lose her composure.

"I said let go out of me! You're creeping me out!"

"Chloe, listen! I know your birthday is March 11. I know you used to have a cat named Bongo. I know you used to live in 44 Cedar Ave. I know that you're a true punk girl at heart. You and I have an amazing relationship together in my timeline. In my timeline, Arcadia Bay is still considered a dump. The Nathan that I know is an asshole rich kid that drugged and helped killed Rachel Amber! And-"

"Don't you dare say anything bad about my husband! Yes, he was a jerk when I first met him but he changed. Nothing you're saying makes any sense. I know Rachel Amber. She's one of my friends. She's still alive. You're acting crazy and you're scaring me. I suggest for you to let go of me and leave immediately before I call security." Chloe attempts once again to escape Max's hold on her but she is unsuccessful. Max's grip on her is simply too strong.

"Please Chloe, you have to believe me."

"I don't believe a word you say. You're just a creepy stalker. I didn't expect this from somebody like you. Please let go of me now!"

"No Chloe! I won't let you go!"

Max hears a knock on Chloe's office door and somebody enters the room. It's Nathan. He looks more mature than the Nathan that she knows. He's wearing a tie and a blazer, wearing a watch, and carrying a briefcase. Max lets go of Chloe as Nathan approaches them. Chloe gets up from her chair and goes to Nathan for a hug and a kiss on the mouth.

"I do apologize for my interruption ladies."

"That's okay honey. We were just about to finish weren't we?" Chloe looks at Max with a disgusted look on her face.

"Yes..." Max says quietly.

Nathan approaches Max and offers her a handshake.

"I'm not too much into photography but I have seen your work in galleries before with my wife. It's nice meeting you."

"Likewise." Max mumbles her response.

"So did the two of you agreed on something already?"

"No, not yet honey. I'll talk to you about it later. Miss Caulfield, if you can please excuse us. Our meeting is over."

Max puts her head down and starts to walk out of the office, feeling disappointment and heartbroken. As she is walking out, time seems to slow down and she begins to feel a spiritual presence near her, who starts whispering words to her. The voice is identical to the voice she heard inside her head back at the alternative Earth. She looks back to Nathan and Chloe talking to each other and smiling in slow motion. She sees the two of them begin to fade away as a sudden bright whiteness engulfs all reality around her. The brightness forces her to close her eyes.

"Let her go. Let her go. Let her go."

"She's happy here."

"Everybody is happy here."

"No storm."

"No chaos."

"No unnecessary deaths."

"Peace."

"If you truly love her, let her go."

Tears begin to fall from Max's eyes.

_She's right. Chloe is happy and successful in this timeline. There's no storm. Arcadia Bay is safe. There is no chaos. Who am I to change things to my liking? The world doesn't revolve around me. Who am I to judge or play with time and space? I shouldn't warp reality just for my own selfish reasons and feelings._

_"_ DON'T LISTEN TO HER MAX! THIS IS ALL A TRICK! REMEMBER ALL THOSE PRECIOUS MOMENTS WE HAD TOGETHER! THEY WILL ALWAYS MEAN SOMETHING TO ME! THEY WILL NEVER GO AWAY! DO NOT BELIEVE A WORD SHE SAYS!"

"CHLOE?" Max opens her eyes upon hearing Chloe's voice screaming at her. She sees nothing but pitch darkness and the blue butterfly flying around her. She no longer feels the spiritual presence that was speaking to her anymore. The butterfly stops flying around her and starts to fly away.  _The butterfly is here! Chloe's spirit animal! It's guiding me just like the doe! I better follow it! Just hearing Chloe's voice gives me a lot of strength, confidence, and hope!_

The butterfly leads Max, among the darkness, to another vortex portal. The butterfly enters the vortex.  _Another portal? What the hell is going to happen next? Well, it's my only escape from here._

Max walks into the portal, feeling better and more confident, ready to face whatever comes next.

The portal instantly brings her face to face with an older bearded men,wearing a ripped and beaten up camouflage suit, and with a face covered in mud and dirt, looking right at her. Max abruptly screams and stands up and takes a few steps back. She also notices that he is wearing a black bandana, carrying various weapons including knives, and an assault rifle strapped over his shoulder.

"Please don't be scared! I mean you no harm! I'm on your side!"

"W-who are you?"

"Private first class Stevens at your service."

"Private Stevens? W-where am I?"

"Back in hell little girl."

"W-what?"

Max looks around her and realizes that she's back in the alternative universe's Earth.  _Oh thank god I'm back here again. I can't believe I just said that. Private Stevens? I recall that name in one of the letters I found._

 _"_ I'm glad you finally snapped out of your zombie-like state. What's a girl like yourself doing here anyways? Why are you here? Who sent you?"

"I'm on a special mission."

"Special mission? What the?You're just a scrawny teenage girl with no weapons or apparent combat skills. Wait! You must have special powers and abilities. Right? You can trust me completely. I have seen tons of crazy unbelievable shit in my life. Nothing can surprise me anymore. What's your name?"

"My name is Max..."

"Max what?"

"Max Caulfield."

"Nice to meet you Max Caulfield. As I said, my name is Private Stevens. First name John."

"It's nice to meet you too John...Private Stevens."

"Ya know, It's good having human company again. I been stranded here alone for months. I'm surprised I haven't gone totally insane yet."

"I can only imagine how lonely it gets being stuck in here."

"You don't want to know Max. I'm sure you have a lot of crazy shit experience and knowledge to share. I do too. Come join me by the campfire I created. Maybe we can help each other to get the hell out of here." Pvt. Stevens points towards his campsite.

Max nods in agreement and sits down with him by the campfire.

**CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 15**


	15. Operation Eagle Assist II

**Chapter 15**

* * *

 

**DATE UNKNOWN IN THE YEAR 2008**

Max and Pvt. Stevens have briefly introduced themselves to each other. Despite the campfire before them, Max feels extremely cold and is shivering due to the cold breeze and the freezing temperature around them. Pvt. Stevens offers his dirty and beat up blanket to Max to keep her warm. It is night time as the sky is dark, exposing countless stars, the planet's bright moon, and nebulas. It is one of the most beautiful sights that Max has ever seen. Pvt. Stevens has told Max so far that he is 23 years old, from Montana, and that he's only been in the military for 2 years. He also told her that when he discovered her body, she had a dead stare on her face, as if she were sleeping with her eyes open. Max has told him that she's from Arcadia Bay Oregon, lived in Seattle for a bit and is 18 year old. Pvt. Stevens has also explained how how he has gotten by the past few months stranded alone. He has survived by eating all the 2 week worth of food supply brought for the team and using the weapons and tools left behind. She has yet to reveal her powers and that she's from the future, despite being asked already several times by Pvt. Stevens to spill the beans about her having possible powers. Their conversation eventually meets a dead end and Max feels obligated to tell him everything she knows.

"Max, we're going nowhere if you don't tell me how exactly you managed to get here. As I said before, you can trust me. You don't have nothing to lose. We're stranded here together. We need to help each other out."

"Sorry John, no...at least not yet. Can you tell me more about your and your friends? Can you tell me why you're here?"

The dirty bearded man shakes his head and rolls his eyes.

"I will not answer that question unless you answer mine. You are not the boss of me Max. Now tell me, how did you ended up here? You have special powers don't you? It's obvious that you do. Spill it out Max. Please."

"If I tell you, will you tell me about everything you know about this world, about your mission, and you know  _who_?"

"Yes, of course I will. You have my word."

"Okay. Here it goes. I have the ability to control time. I can rewind time, stop time, and time travel back to the past using photographs. I'm actually from the year 2013. I was gifted these powers to protect and save my best friend's life. I was captured by the government to experiment on me and my powers. Eventually, they sent me here to stop the being that is causing the destruction of my home town and the entire world before she can do so. That's pretty much all the important information that you need to know."

Pvt. Steven doesn't seem to be that surprised to hear any of this.

"Wow! Time travel! That's a first! No wonder they were interested in you! The government always prey on those with special powers and abilities like yourself! You're from the future then? What is happening in the year 2013?"

"Well, a huge tornado comes and wipes out my home town and all the surrounding area. Then earthquakes and hurricanes hit famous cities around the world. The moon was getting bigger as it was getting closer to the Earth last time I was there. Hundreds of meteorites started falling from the sky before I arrived here. It's a very dark and chaotic future John."

Pvt. Stevens drinks some beer and sighs.

"Well, that sucks to say the you what! I'm going to help in your mission Max. You might have time travel abilities but you can't never go wrong with firepower and bullets."

"Thanks Private Stevens. I guess I could use some help. Now, do you mind telling me what you know of this place and how you got here?"

"Certainly. I didn't know anything about this place until I actually got here. I never knew such a place existed. One day I was randomly selected and summoned to FBI headquarters for a special secret assignment. I was told that due to my great weapon skills and strength, I was a great candidate for this mission. I first met my platoon over there as well as the science team. We were briefed only hours before we landed here. We were basically told that our job was to protect and assist the scientists on a secret expedition on an alien world that NASA recently discovered. Of course, we were told to never speak of the mission to the public or loved ones. In exchange for our services and keeping everything a secret, we were promised millions in compensation. Since it was only a short expedition and because of the money they promised, we all agreed to take part of the mission."

"What if you or any of you refused?"

"Not sure. Nothing good I suppose."

"Is there anything they told you before you got here?"

"Yes, they warn of us of a spirit or ghost roaming the planet. They basically told us to ignore it and don't fall for any mind tricks. Nothing beyond that though. Everything else I know is after we finally got here. The mission was dubbed Operation Eagle Assist II."

"I read in the letters I found throughout the world, that you guys arrived here by teleportation? How?"

"Yes, they told us that NASA has mastered teleportation technology. It's pretty much just a huge black pad we stood on that instantly teleported us and all of our supplies here. It's powered by some unknown energy. I never learned how it exactly works though. The pad is still intact and left where we originally left it at when we arrived. However, once we determined our expedition was over and were about to leave, it refused to work. We never figured out why or how but the pad stopped working and that's how we ended up stranded here. That's when shit really hit the fan."

"I also read in the letters that you guys encountered "Her Army" and hostile enemies."

"Yes, we did. We were ambushed constantly by the creatures that live here. Although, I notice that they are naturally peaceful and do not mean harm. I've observed their behavior very carefully. The scientists also agreed that these creatures are not violent in nature. The problem is that they're obviously mind controlled by Her. We had no choice but to defend ourselves when they attack."

"The letters have also referred Her to only "Her" and "She". She has spoken to me before. She's been planting visions or tricking my mind or something. What can you tell me about 'Her'? Does she have a name? What is she exactly?"

"The government nor the scientists never named  _Her._  We never named  _Her_  either. Some of us started calling her "Mother", but they probably said that due to all of her mind tricks. I do not know what kind of being is she but it's obvious that she's an extremely powerful being capable of mind control or who knows what else. She haunted us. She drove some of us to suicide and made us turn on each other. She enjoys playing mind games. She enjoys toying with us. She enjoys causing chaos. She probably had something to do with our teleportation device not working any more. She trapped us in here. "

"Is it all simply a mind trick John? I been sent to multiple realities and timelines lately. They felt too real. I have memories of events that happened in those timelines, yet, I never experienced them. There has to be something more to this. Have you been haunted by these type of tricks?"

"Of course I have. I know exactly what you mean. I'm not sure if there is a word in the dictionary that describes what she does to us. It seems like she can somehow take your memories or conscious and create a nightmare or an actual reality out of it. It's like a mixture of nightmares, visions, illusions, mind tricks, simulation, and alternative realities all at the same time. They are experiences nobody should go through. These experiences have thrown my comrades insane and even made them commit suicide and commit acts they would never do. It's absolutely terrifying."

"You seem to be doing okay though. I still feel extremely exhausted,anxious, confused about what I have experienced so far. You seem to be just fine."

"No, Max. I'm not fine  _at all._  Those experiences...have drove me into insanity and made me consider suicide several times already. However, despite everything I still somehow had hope. I had hope that maybe the government or somebody else will arrive here to rescue me. The hope and determination of seeing my wife, my children, and my family has kept me going. She managed to play with that hope and thoughts as well. Just yesterday, instead of the usual nightmare tricks, I was presented with a happy experience. I saw my wife and my children. We were at a beach. We were having a great time. I saw the beautiful smiles of my children and my wife. It was like a normal day and experience with my family. It felt extremely real. It made me forget about this horrible place for a while. I felt happy. I felt at peace. When it ended, I became enraged. It was all a trick. It destroyed my feelings and thoughts, more than all the nightmare fuel experiences combined. She is starting to use my will and motivations and turn them against me. I can't take much more of this!"

Max sees John put his head down and begin to sob quietly. She puts her hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"I'm so sorry John. I understand how you feel. They're traumatic and horrible experiences that none of us deserve to go through. I'm glad that you haven't given up on them and yourself. I'm glad that you still have hope despite all that shit you have suffered through."

"Thank you Max. However, I realize that I should have went down with my squad and not stayed behind now. I should have died along with them. With honor. With pride. They needed me and yet I stayed behind and went on my own path. I didn't have the courage to face the fear and evil that is out here. Now she's going to keep taunting me until she finally decides to kill me. "

"Don't say that John. As you said, we can team up and take her down. We will get out of here and go back home."

"How...how are we going to go back home? The teleportation pad doesn't work remember? How are you supposed to come back home anyways?"

"With this."

Max shows off the Time Ring to Pvt. Stevens and points at one of the gemstones. Pvt. Stevens gets up to take a closer look at it.

"What does this ring do?"

"It allows me to expand my time control abilities. Plus, this gem allows me to return to a certain place in time. It is my ticket out of here."

"The government gave you it?"

"Yes, they did. They said that their top engineers and scientists designed it for those with teleportation abilities. However, they also told me that all the people who used the ring before all died shortly after using it. Luckily, I haven't died yet by using it."

"Do you trust it? Do you trust them?"

"Of course not. I already know that they lied to me about certain things already. I didn't believe them at all until I saw the sky turn red and saw meteorites falling from the sky. It is obvious that a powerful being is behind the destruction of the world. She obviously exists. "

"Then why are you using a device that was designed by them? That ring is nothing but trouble I'm sure of it. I wouldn't use it if I were you."

"It's my ticket out of here though. I don't really need to use it anymore after I'm done here anyways. I'll discard it afterwards."

"You better Max. Who knows what that ring is capable of. They might use it to take control of you and manipulate your mind. Since you been using it, has anything changed about you?"

"Well...now that you have mentioned it. I have gotten...more violent..and murderous than I was before. But I swear, I have only killed when it was necessary and justified. It was self defense or to save others. "

"But you didn't kill before you got the ring right?"

"Well...maybe..I have..not directly though. I never imagine myself as a person capable of killing people or hurting others. These powers have led me to different paths that I never imagine myself being part of. But I was given these powers for a reason. To save my best friend's life and to save the world."

"You should definitely destroy that ring once you leave this place. That's just my suggestion. I don't trust our own government or leaders anymore. I'm getting strange vibes from it and I'm not even wearing it! Hopefully that is the true purpose of your powers. "

"I agree John. I will destroy it and don't worry, I know and believe in that purpose."

"Your ring doesn't solve my problem though. How am I suppose to get back?"

"You're right. The ring won't work on you since you don't have supernatural powers. Wait! There was huge portal mentioned in the letters."

"Oh yes, I recall, before the squad left, that they thought that there was a huge portal that will bring us back home. However, they knew that they would need to confront Her to access it. The scientists that were with us, seems to have confirmed that as well. It might not even be true though. That's one of the reasons I chose not go to them, because if such portal does not exist, we would've just head to our deaths."

"It's your only chance you have now. We need to confront her and defeat her. It's the only way we can both get out of here. Do you know anything else about why the government sent you guys here? It couldn't have just been a science project!"

"No, of course not. During one of the attacks, the last remaining scientist told us as he was dying, that there was more to do this mission that only he knew about. It turns out that the government have sent previous humans here to investigate and study this place before. They were interested on how to terraform this world. They were also interested on  _Her_  and what her abilities and powers are and how they effect the human mind. They wanted to see what they could use to possibly overthrow her. We're all just guinea pigs Max."

"Now I feel like I'm being used to help them take over this world and for their own greedy reasons. This could also explain why She hates the human race and why she wants to wipe us out or enslave us. The government are probably the ones to blame for everything that is going on in the first place, by trying to interfere in this world. Whatever the case might be, she's still a threat and must be taken down. We'll deal with the government later! We need to take her down!"

"Yes, you are right. I'm sick of this place! I'm sick of her mind tricks! I'm sick of everything! I'm going to avenge my comrades! Together, we will defeat her!"

Pvt. Stevens gets up and loads his assault rifle and gears up. Max sees him equipping grenades, knives, handguns, and all the ammo he can carry.

"You ready Max?"

"Right now?"

"Why wait?"

"But where is she? Where we can find her?"

"I have an idea. Dr. Simmons, which was one of the scientist with us, theorized that there must be a portal that leads directly to her. He apparently did found such portal during one of their trips to a nearby forest as he saw many creatures of this world entering this portal, in a single file line. That portal should be located miles away from here. Deep into the forest. He could be wrong but it's our only lead. I'm been wanting to go in there and explore to find the portal but I was told that forest was too dangerous and full of hostile creatures. Or..."

"Or what?"

"We can make her come to us. Provoke her somehow. Make her appear before us."

"How?"

"I'm not sure. Mock her? Killing the creatures that live here? Destroy the environment?"

"The creatures don't mean any harm. I won't kill anymore or anything unless I really have to."

"You're right Max. That won't do any good. I have a feeling that she's going to come to us anyways. So you're ready to go?"

"Of course. There's no point in stalling."

"How exactly are you going to defeat her anyways?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure. Probably a combination of my telekinetic and time travel powers. Using her own attacks against her. That's my strategy for now."

"I guess you don't need to rely on conventional weapons like I do."

"No, I don't but I can't go wrong with firepower on my side."

"Have you ever used a gun before?"

"No, not really. Never got the chance to learn how."

"I can teach you if you want."

"No, it's cool."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, John I'm sure. Now lead the way."

"Very well Max. Lets go."

They leave the campsite together and they start walking through the rough land and plants, towards the forest. Pvt. Stevens uses his flashlight and Max uses her fiance's phone to light up their path. Max continues to follow Pvt. Stevens until he suddenly stops and ducks. Max also senses danger nearby as well and ducks.

"Max, I heard movements. Stay still and be quiet." Pvt. Stevens whispers to Max.

"I know. I sensed danger as well." Max responds.

They stay still, looking in all directions, and keeping quiet for a few minutes. They just hear the standard ambient sounds of the wind and critter sounds. Suddenly, a flash of light appears from the sky, which blinds them.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know Max. Can you see anything?"

"No, I can't make out anything! I do sense a presence though. "

"Oh shit Max! We're surrounded! There's too many of them!"

"What!?"

Max regains her vision and realizes that they are surrounded by dozens if not hundreds of reptilian creatures, saber-tooth like animals, and pterodactyls. A loud familiar voice is heard from the sky.

"WIN. YOU CANNOT WIN."

"FUCK YOU BITCH! WE ARE NOT FUCKING SCARED OF YOU! COME DOWN AND FACE US! STOP PLAYING AROUND!" Pvt. Stevens shouts back but gets no response.

"Dammit Max. We're very outnumbered. I can't take these guys by myself. I hope your powers are able to save us."

"Don't worry they will! At least I hope so. I'm going to try something first though. Hold on to me!"

"Why?"

"Just do it. I'll explain later. Hurry!"

Pvt. Stevens grabs Max by her left arm as Max rewinds time before the light and the creatures appeared. Once she finishes her rewind, Pvt. Stevens loses his grip on Max and falls down to the ground in complete pain.

"Ugh, I feel horrible what did you do?"

"I rewinded time to a point before they appeared. What's wrong with you?"

"I have a lot of pain all over my body. So we went back in time? I heard us talking backwards and watched them disappeared. Damn, maybe you shouldn't use your time abilities on me. I can barely stand up after that! I don't think my body can take another rewind. Holy shit! This one of the worst pain I've ever felt! "

"I was trying to buy us some time and prepare for the attack or make a run for it. C'mon soldier, we need to get going. They're going to come back any second now."

"Trust me Max. I'm really trying."

Max watches Pvt. Stevens trying his best to stay on two feet and walk.  _That's weird. Chloe didn't show or felt any pain when she grabbed on to me while I used my powers. Yet, a well trained soldier is barely able to walk after a short rewind? Chloe doesn't have time travel abilities, so why didn't she feel pain? This is a huge set back then. I can't use my powers directly on him because it will only damage him. I better rewind again. I can't use my Time Stop powers to escape with him either. Damn._

Max once again rewinds time before the attackers arrived and before she rewinded with John holding on her.

"John, brace yourself! A bright light from the sky is going to blind us and we're going to get attacked in a few seconds. We need to run and cover our eyes! Now!"

"What? How do you know that Max?"

"I can rewind time remember? Lets go into the forest! Now!"

"Oh yes, I forgot already. Whatever you say Max."

Both of them sprint towards the forest to get away from the incoming attackers. In their peripheral vision, they see the bright white light appear from the sky and the spawning of the many creatures. They hear her voice loudly speaking to them.

"RUN. YOU CANNOT RUN AWAY."

The hostile creatures begin to chase them as the two of them are running towards the forest.

"There's too many of them! The aerial creatures are gaining on us. Fuck! We need to counter attack! There's no use running!"

"I think you're right John! We need to show them that we're not afraid! I hate to kill more living things but our lives are in danger."

Pvt. Stevens stops running and begins to fire his assault rifle at the flying enemies first. Max starts using her powerful shock wave attacks towards the fast approaching attackers on the ground that sends them flying away. She also starts to force pull some of the larger creatures and throws them towards groups of the approaching attackers. Pvt. Stevens is amazed of what Max is capable of.

"Holy Shit Max! You don't need my help at all!"

"You haven't seen anything yet! Keep shooting though. I need all the help I can get!"

"Yes sir, I mean yes m'am!"

After shooting down the aerial creatures, Pvt. Stevens begins shooting at the creatures on the ground who are coming at them. Max begins to use her time stop abilities, in combination with her speed powers, to take down dozens of enemies quickly. One of the large saber tooth tiger-like creatures manages to take down Pvt. Stevens and tries to maul him. Max realizes this and quickly rushes towards his aid. Pvt. Stevens struggles and attempts to wrestle his away out or shoot back but is unable to do so. Max quickly arrives, stares right at the creature's eyes, and points at it with her middle and index fingers. Max utters an unintelligible word and the saber tooth tiger begins to disintegrate into dust . The tiger screams with agony as it gets disintegrated. Max seems to have erased the tiger from existence. After witnessing what Max can do, the rest of the creatures starts to retreat and run away from them.

"Wow! Holy shit Max! What the fuck was that? You uttered a word in  _Latin_  I think. You actually scared them off! For a person who doesn't like killing, you sure are good at it!"

"Well...thanks I guess..not sure what comes over me when I go in attack mode. I feel like a total different person."

"Well, you saved our asses Max. That's all that matters! Now lets go before more of them come back."

Just before they resume their path towards the forest, a shining gold ray appears from the sky and immobilizes Max.

"MAX!" Pvt. Stevens shouts as he looks up to the sky. A portal begins to slowly descend from the sky as well.

_Oh shit not again! No no no! Not another portal!_

The voice is once again heard from the sky.

"YOU LIKE BLOOD CHILD? YOU LIKE KILLING?"

The portal starts to quickly approach Max. Pvt. Stevens shoots at the portal to destroy it but the bullets have no effect. Unable to move, Max attempts to stop the portal using her mind and mental concentration. Max focuses on the portal and manages to freeze it in place. However, she realizes that she's in a power struggle and knows she can't afford to lose focus. She starts to slowly push the portal away from her and send it back towards the sky.

_C'mon Max! You can do this! You don't need your hands. Just focus! Focus!_

Pvt. Stevens watches in astonishment but soon gets ambushed from behind by a group of reptilian creatures. He is caught off guard and is unable to fight back. Max realizes this and tries to help him out. Using her full power and will, she manages to break free from the immobilizing ray and goes to fend off the attackers. She quickly disposes of them by using her shock wave attacks.

"Max! Thank you for saving my ass! I can't believe you broke free from that! What about the portal?"

"The portal? Oh fuck!"

She turns back and sees the portal coming right towards her. She attempts to run away from it by going in circles, but the portal is matching her speed and is catching up on her. She attempts to rewind time but is unable to do so.  _Dammit! My time powers have exhausted!_   _At least I have my speed still._ Pvt. Stevens once again attempts to shoot at the portal but it is no use. Another group of hostile creatures emerge and begin to overwhelm Pvt. Stevens. He manages to stand his ground and fend them off but Max sees yet another group ready to gang up on him. Max decides to help him again despite having the portal pursing her. John realizes this and urges Max not to help him.

"Don't worry about me Max! Get away from that thing! I can handle this!"

"No, I'm going to help you! There's more coming in all directions! You can't take them out all by yourself!"

"MAX! WORRY ABOUT YOURSELF!"

"NO! I'M GOING TO HELP YOU!"

"WATCH OUT FOR THAT PORTAL! THAT'S AN ORDER MAX!"

Pvt. Stevens uses his handguns to shoot down the creatures but as he is reloading, he gets ambushed and gets taken down. She once again rescues him from danger and makes sure he's safe. Recovering from the attack, Pvt. Stevens points behind Max.

"MAX WATCH OUT! BEHIND YOU!"

Max turns around and sees a quick glimpse of the portal before it reaches her.  _Fuuuuccckkk!_ She hears John's voice shouting her name fading away as she enters the portal.

Max falls down to the ground and notices that the ground is a street road now. She gets up and realizes that she's in the middle of a street and there's destroyed houses all around her. The sky is gloomy and gray. There's no sign of life anywhere, just destruction.  _Damn, where am I now? Where the fuck am I now? The past or the future? What is this_ _place? Maybe I shouldn't have helped him but there was no way I was going to let him die. Fuck! Where the fuck did she sent me now? It's a ghost town here! This looks like Arcadia Bay but it's completely destroyed. Could this be Arcadia Bay right after the tornado hit the town?_

She begins to run and looks for any sign of life. She shouts to get the attention of anybody but gets no response. She eventually reaches the remains of the Two Whales Diner but there's nobody inside or any dead bodies. She looks towards the lighthouse and sees flashes of fast moving lights of various colors such as blue, red, yellow, and purple moving around the lighthouse.  _What is going on at the lighthouse? Better check it out!_

**CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 16**

* * *

 

 


	16. The Blackwell Heroes

**CHAPTER 16**

* * *

**DATE UNKNOWN**

Max quickly arrives at the lighthouse and sees a group of people gathered who are looking up at the sky. She hides behind a tree and takes a good look at their faces and recognizes them as Warren, Kate, Victoria, Brooke, and Dana. They all have faint colored auras and vapors engulfing them. Warren has a blue vapor, Kate has a yellow aura, Victoria has a red aura, Brooke has a purple aura, and Dana has a pink vapor. They are all wearing futuristic headsets and body armor suits, as if they were ready for war or a battle. Max overhears them talking to each other about how there's only a few minutes until somebody arrives. They seem to be waiting for somebody to arrive and are coordinating battle plans. Victoria seems to be the leader of the group, instructing the others to stay calm and prepare for the attack. They are going over a "Plan A" and a "Plan B" and hand signals. Max watches from a distance as the group gathers for a prayer, led by Kate herself.  _They look and act so different since the last time I seen them. They look like they have experienced nuclear war or something worse. This place sure does look like hell. Why do they all have auras? Do they have super powers as well? Who are they waiting for? Time to ask them what the hell is going on here._

Max begins to walk towards them but she stops as soon as she hears an alarm sound go off from Brooke's headset and gear. This interrupts the team's prayer and gets the attention of Victoria.

"Brooke what's that?"

"My scanner is detecting an unfamiliar powerful force near us Victoria!"

"What? That's not possible! How near?!

"12 meters! South!"

"No way! Can anybody locate it?"

"Over there! There's a girl over there! Wait...is that?" Warren is the first one to spot Max and points at her. The rest of the Blackwell team turns around and looks at Max. She raises her hand and does a small hand wave at them.

"Oh my god it's Max!" Warren shouts and runs towards her with a big smile on his face.

"No way! No fucking way!" Victoria also runs towards her with such great joy and happiness.

"Thank you God. Thank you! You brought her safe!" Kate says as she runs towards her.

The rest of the team follows and they begin to give Max hugs. Max is surprised that somebody like Victoria and Brooke are giving her hugs but after everything she has experienced, she gladly returns the hugs.

_Oh my. I'm so happy that I get to see these guys again, especially Kate and Warren. I'be forgotten about my classmates and friends since I have focused only on Chloe lately. It feels great being reunited with them. B-but what is going on here? This isn't exactly a happy place for a reunion. They all have scars, look depressed, and not at all their usual selves._

"Max! I'm so glad to see you again. I'm happy that you're still alive! Where were you? What happened to you after you disappeared?" Warren asks Max while not letting go of Max due to his sheer happiness in seeing her face again.

"Disappeared?" Max questions Warren.

"Yes, Max. You've been gone for over a year now. Nobody knew where you went or what happened to you after you were sent to a mental hospital." Kate explains before giving Max another hug.

"Mental hospital? W-what? Why was I sent there? What happened?"

"Hold on Max. Don't you remember? Are you okay? Are you suffering from amnesia? Tell us what's wrong!" Warren asks as he puts his hands on her shoulders.

"I-I don't know Warren. I have no idea what's going on. Why are you guys here? Why is Arcadia Bay destroyed? Why was I in a mental hospital?"

"You really don't have a clue Max?" Kate asks Max with a worried and concerned tone of voice.

"No, I have no idea Kate! I don't remember anything! Please tell me what's going on! What happened a year ago? What happened to this place?"

"Chill Max. Don't worry, we'll explain everything. Take a seat!" Dana comforts Max as she sits down on the ground as the rest of the group huddle around her.

"Team. Please do not forget about our mission here. He should be arriving soon. So please be on alert! Max, you need to get out of here after we tell you what happened to you. Please, it's for your own safety!"

Victoria instructs the Blackwell Team and reminds them of whatever mission they have to do. Max nods in agreement to Victoria's plan. She just wants to know what the hell happened to her in this reality and what is going on around them.

"Warren, why was I in a mental hospital? What happened to me? What happened to Arcadia Bay?"

"Ok Max, I'll tell you everything we know. Max, after Chloe Price's funeral, you went into a deep depression and experienced severe emotional crisis. I tried my best to comfort you and help you cope with your bests friend's death but I was unable to. Kate here also tried and prayed a lot for you but that didn't work either. You missed school a lot and when you did show up, you refused to talk or do anything. I believe you were diagnosed with selective mutism. You became a little too violent to be honest Max and not mentally stable at times. Of course, we understand that losing a best friend is very hard on anybody. Soon after, you dropped out from Blackwell and were forced to move back with your parents in Seattle. However, not even your parents could help you. The last time we ever heard of your whereabouts was when your parents told us that you were institutionalized in a mental hospital for psychiatry care and therapy. We never knew what happened to you after that. We tried reaching you, your parents, and the hospital you were supposedly admitted at. There was no record or sign of you anywhere. We called the police and the FBI but they were never able to find you. They never got a lead in the case. They closed the investigation only months after we filed a Missing Person Report. I never gave up searching for you Max. None of us stopped searching for you. We only stopped...until...something came up."

Max begins to sob and puts her hands on her face and breakdown.  _Oh god! This timeline must be the one where I did choose to sacrifice Chloe to save the town from the tornado. No, why would I ever choose to sacrifice Chloe?! I can't live without her! I guess I did choose that and went totally crazy in this timeline and was locked up in some hospital like if I were a lunatic. Jesus. Poor Chloe. Poor Me. What the fuck happened then to Arcadia Bay? So Chloe died for nothing in this timeline?_

"I'm so sorry Max to tell you all of that."

"There there Max. At least you're alive and well. You're safe with us. "

"You have us Max. I know that none of us can replace Chloe but we're here for you. Forever."

All of them give Max a group hug to make her feel better. Max hugs Warren and Kate the longest as more tears begin to flow down from Max's eyes.

"So, w-what happened to Arcadia Bay? W-why are you guys dressed like that? Why is the sky so gloomy and dark?"

"I'll answer those questions guys." Victoria takes charge of the conversation and begins to explain. Victoria no longer sounds like an a stereotypical alpha bitch queen B, but now an actual adult and leader.

"Max, just months after you disappeared, a mysterious person wearing cybernetic armor appeared in front of Blackwell. This Darth Vader wannabe told us that our time was up and that we did not deserve to live anymore. That nobody in this planet deserved to live any longer. That we will all suffer the consequences of our actions. He was blaming us for something and was seeking revenge for it. Of course, we had no idea what he was talking about. We could barely make out what he was saying with that robotic machine voice he has. We didn't really take this guy too seriously and thought he was just some edgy geek loser until he started to destroy the school and most of Arcadia Bay with his destructive powers. This monster has destroyed many cities across the world as well. The military and the government cannot stop him. He is too powerful. He is capable of insane, dangerous, and powerful abilities such as weather manipulation, telekinesis, magic,energy manipulation, and superhuman speed and flight and god knows what else. After a month, we were the only survivors of Arcadia Bay left, apart of some native tribes that lived out deep in the forest. These natives tribes helped us achieve our inner powers and capabilities to become...well...superheros as lame and dorky as that sounds. What was left of the CIA also provided us special training and equipment to fight this freak. This is not a world you want to live in Max. It's full of chaos, destruction, and death. We have tried our best to protect the lives of innocent people but we have failed miserably. He has killed many of our friends and families and countless innocent people. We have decided that enough is enough and that we will all team up to beat him. We know from intelligence reports that every single Friday afternoon, he shows up at the lighthouse and just stands here for a while. We do not know why he comes here every Friday but it doesn't matter, we know that he's going to arrive soon and this is our chance to take him down, once and for all. He has done enough damage already. We have trained and prepared for months for this final attack."

Warren joins in the conversation and asks Max a few questions.

"Do you remember Juliet and Alyssa, Max? Well, they were apart of us as well...until...he killed them. That monster slaughtered them in front of us. We tried our best to defend them...but we were too weak at that point. We will avenge their deaths!"

"Yes, of course I remember them. Oh no...I can't believe this is happening. Poor Juliet and Alyssa. Poor Arcadia Bay. They did not deserve that..nobody deserves any of this. This is really a nightmare."

"I wish it was just a dream Max. But it's real. Damn real." Kate says as she looks down on the ground.

"S-so..you guys have superpowers?"

"Yes Max, as it turns out, there are other people out there with super powers and special abilities. As Victoria said, the native tribes that lived outside the town helped us achieve our inner powers and abilities." Brooke explains.

"W-what kinds of powers do you guys hav-"

Max gets interrupted by another loud alarm coming from Brooke's suit.

"VIC! EVERYBODY! MY SCANNER IS DETECTING FAST MOVEMENTS APPROACHING US! THAT MUST BE HIM!"

"It's time everybody. Gear up, power up, let's do this shit! Max...get out of here please. Run for safety. You don't want to be here. It's going to be a very hard fought battle. Things will get ugly."

Victoria orders Max to leave but she refuses.

"No! I can help you guys-I have-"

"No Max! You need to go. You don't stand a chance. You'll die! Please get out here or else we'll force you to go!"

"Victoria is right Max. Get out of here! Run!" Warren agrees with Victoria. The rest of the group encourages Max to leave but she refuses to do so.

"I won't leave you guys. Please let me help!"

"NO MAX! DANA! SECURE HER!"

"W-what?" Max looks at Victoria and then at Dana. She sees Dana form a pink energy barrier around her using her fingers. The barrier seems to be made of solid state laser. Max is completely trapped inside it.

"I'm sorry Max. This is for your own good. This will protect you in the mean time until we're done. You should also be invisible now." Dana explains as she finishes surrounding the barrier around Max. She realizes that Dana has also managed to cloak her so she won't get detected by anybody who doesn't know she's there.

"Wait! You're all making a horrible mistake!" Max begs the team to let her out and help them in the fight but they turn their heads in disapproval. All of a sudden, Brooke's scanner device starts to go off completely, louder than before.

"Vic! Any second now!" Brooke alerts Victoria and points at the sky.

"Oh shit, it's time! Everybody in your positions! Protect Arcadia Bay! In the name of everybody that has died and suffered, we shall be victorious!" Victoria shouts and orders the team to form a formation and power up. They have their auras again. Warren turns back at Max and winks at her.

"Max, we'll be right back! Just sit back and watch us kick this guy's ass." Warren walks away and joins the others, looking up at the sky.

Max starts to sense a powerful presence moving quickly towards them.  _This power...I sense...anger...sorrow...hate. Damn, I really wish they knew what I'm capable of. Look at them, they really are superheroes. They are willing to do anything to protect the lives of others. I guess those natives can really help you achieve your inner powers after all. Dammit, why am I here or what's the point of this mindfuck? This has to be another mumbo jumbo mindtrick I'm experiencing. I really hope John is safe and got out of that mess alive. Please be safe John! Please be safe Chloe! Please be safe everybody in the real timeline! But-what is the real timeline anymore? Stop it Max! None of these timelines are real! You know what's the real timeline! But...This just feels too real..._

Suddenly, the clouds turn even darker, heavy rain begins to fall, and lightning strikes begin to hit the ground and ocean. The team remain focus and unfazed by this. From the clouds, a person wearing silver cybernetic armor covering its entire body emerges and looks down at them.

"Hello there freak! We been waiting for you. We just want to say this to you: Today we will kill you! It ends tonight!" Victoria shouts as her aura turns into a fire red color, as if she is literally made of fire. The rest of the team powers up as well. The armored mysterious person doesn't respond and stays on the air, looking down on them.

_Who or what is this guy? He doesn't seem be concerned about them at all. Could this be a government project gone wrong? This guy looks straight from a science fiction movie. Wait..._

Max takes an extra look at him and notices that he's wearing something familiar, he's wearing a Time Ring on his right hand's ring finger, that is identical to hers.

_Hold on, he's wearing a time ring as well? What the fuck? How's that possible? Can this guy control time as well? If he can, holy shit..._

He begins to clap and slowly descends to approach the team. He starts to speak.

"I must say, you all have gotten stronger since the last time we met. Impressive. However, you are all still mere bugs compared to me .Today I will finish what I started. Today I will have my revenge at long last."

**CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 17**


	17. The Battle for Arcadia Bay

**CHAPTER 17**

* * *

**DATE UNKNOWN IN THE YEAR 2014**

The cybernetic armored person crosses his arms, still looking down at them as the group prepares to attack. Victoria's entire body turns into literal fire and her aura becomes even more bright and powerful. Brooke and Warren's battle suits light up, covers their faces with helmets, and they both take out futuristic looking guns, far more advanced than the guns Pvt. Stevens used. Kate's bright powerful aura turns into a solid gold color as well as her long loosed hair, no longer tied in a bun. Her long beautiful gold colored hair is shining as bright as her aura, now with electric sparks around her. Dana waves her left hand, creating another pink barrier around the team, and shoots out purple beams at herself and everybody else. The team are now shrouded by a pink colored outline, most likely for extra defense. Dana then snaps her fingers and turns the barriers and herself invisible. The fully armored person beckons them to attack him.

"YOU WON'T TAUNT US ANYMORE MONSTER!" Victoria shouts, sounding angrier than before.

"IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO DIE!" Brooke joins in as well, pointing directly at him.

"YOU WON'T BE HURTING ANYONE ANYMORE, YOU MASKED FREAK!" shouts Kate.

"TEAM, BEGIN PLAN A! NOW!" Victoria orders the team to immediately start attacking with 'Plan A'.

_It begins. It is 5 against 1. They're going all out! I wish I was helping them but they have me contained in this barrier. Kate called him the "Masked Freak" huh... very fitting. Victoria has some fire powers, just like the Human Torch from the comic books. Brooke and Warren look straight from a science fiction or a superhero movie. Kate looks like a character from a fighting anime or manga. Dana seems to be the defensive person and healer of the group, protecting them with her powers and creating barriers around them. Wowser, Dana can turn herself and others invisible! I can sense and feel their powers and energy from here, they're really strong! This guy must be pretty powerful as well if it takes all 5 of them to be here to stop him. Good luck my friends..._

Kate shoots a yellow energy ball attack from her hand direactly at him. Victoria follows it by charging directly head on, with intense speed and force. He instantly teleports to dodge Victoria's charge and teleports behind Kate. Kate, however, seems to have predicted this and elbows him in his face then instantly gets out of the way. The elbow strike ,however, didn't seem to have much effect. He turns to his left and tries to attack Warren and Brooke but Dana re-appears behind him and creates a barrier around him, trapping him inside. Victoria from above, who was charging a fireball attack while this was going on, fires it directly at him. At the same time, Brooke and Warren pushes a button on their suits that activates an underground body grip trap beneath him that locks his feet in place. Dana, Warren, and Brooke jump out of the way from Victoria's attack as it makes contact. The cliff shakes uncontrollably from the attack and the lighthouse begins to crumble. Max feels the force from the impact but it doesn't faze her at all. The team are now flying above as the smoke and dust begin to clear.

"Brooke or Warren. Run a power scan. Is he still alive?"

"My scanner is not detecting anything Victoria." Brooke says through her suit's voice communicator.

"Negative here as well. Just in case though..." Warren confirms Brooke's power scan but takes out another weapon from his suit, a long and odd looking futuristic rifle. He fires it directly at where the "Masked Freak" was, causing another explosion that causes the lighthouse to completely fall apart.

"Nice shot Warren." Kate compliments Warren with a smile.

"Thank you Kate. Nice elbow by the way. Just as we planned."

"Yes, we planned it well!"

"Team! Don't let your guard down! He may still be al-"

Victoria gets cut off and her face expresses complete frustration and anger as the armored person appears in front of them, unscathed, so quickly. He decides to go after Warren this time with a fierce punch but the punch gets blocked by a pink barrier. Warren counter attacks with his main pistol weapon, landing a few shots before "The Masked Freak" teleports away.

"Nice job Dana by setting these cloaked barriers around us!"

"No problem Vic, just as we planned."

"Well, that didn't work guys. We knew it wouldn't be that easy anyways. It's time for plan B with a little mix of Plan D. Got it?"

"Yes Victoria!"

_Holy shit! They are really are kicking some serious ass. They are very coordinated as well. Maybe they don't need my help after all. My friends are the real Avengers! They can also fly! Wow!_

_"_ Look in all directions team. Above, to your left, to your right. Your scanner is still not detecting anything Brooke?"

"Negative. He might have learned how not to be detected."

"Dammit! That bastard!"

Suddenly a barrage of thunder strikes are hurled from the sky towards them. Brooke warns the team just in time. However, as the team dodges the lightning strikes, the "Masked Freak" teleports behind Kate and lands a punch on her face. Kate shouts in pain. Victoria sees this and fires a flamethrower attack at him but he easily blocks it with one hand as he chokes Kate with his other hand.

"BROOKE! WARREN! DANA! WE NEED ASSISTANCE HERE!"

"Sorry Vic! There's too many lightning strikes being thrown at us! We can't help!" Brooke and Warren are overwhelmed by the constant dodging of the lightning bolts.

Victoria, in anger and frustration, charges directly at him but stops in her tracks as she realizes that he intends to use Kate as a body shield. Dana, however, re-appears behind him and traps both of his hands using a lasso she created from her hands. Kate, free from his grip, begins to furiously attack him with a combination of punches and kicks. Victoria quickly joins Kate and the two of them begin to pound on him. Dana starts to struggle on keeping him still as Kate and Victoria are attacking him with everything they got. However, despite their assault, Dana can tell that he is is about to break her lasso and uses everything she has to hold him down.

_Nice save Dana! Look at Kate and Victoria, going right at him. They really make a great team. However...he doesn't seem to be affected at all by their attacks!_

Brooke and Warren manages to get away from lightning as it subsides and they quickly rejoin the fight. Brooke takes out another type of futuristic gun from her suit and aims it directly at him. The gun doesn't look like a pistol or a rifle, it is more bulky and resembles a rocket or grenade launcher.

"BROOKE! DO IT NOW!" Dana shouts at Brooke in desperation as she is about to lose her grip on him.

"NOT YET! JUST A FEW MORE SECONDS! NEED TO FULLY CHARGE IT!" Brooke replies as she charges her weapon and concentrates on her aim. "C'mon...c'mon...steady now" Brooke says under her breath.

"I'm going to help you guys in the meantime!" Warren borrows Brooke's plasma pistol, now duel wielding, and shoots "The Masked Freak" with all the available ammo he has.

"BROOKE...HURRY!" Dana once again shouts in desperation, now swearing uncontrollably, as she is running out of strength. Kate and Victoria decides to stop attacking him and now try to hold him in place as well. Kate grabs him by the neck and Victoria grabs him by the abdomen.

"IT'S READY! HERE IT COMES!" Brooke shoots a fast thick electrical energy attack at him. Victoria and Kate keep their hold on him and they quickly get out of the way just before Brooke's attack connects. Dana lets go of him as well, in much relief. The group huddles together to stay close to each other. Kate, Dana, and Victoria are trying to catch their breath.

"TAKE THAT MOTHERFUCKER! FULLY CHARGED EMP BLAST BITCH!" Brooke taunts him as he has been immobilized. His armor starts to break apart and lets out several electrical discharges. The "Masked Freak" remains in the air though but doesn't counterattack.

"Nice shot Brooke...and nice words."

"Thanks Kate." Brooke and Kate crack a brief laugh.

"If the EMP blast really connected, his armor should be completely disabled. He won't have his suit protection anymore." Warren comments.

" That's right, that won't kill him but that will make things more easier for , it's time to finish him off. Now or never! Let us all attack him, continuously, one after the other!" Victoria orders the team to use this opportunity to lash our their final attacks.

_They really got him! They disabled his suit! They're going to finish him! They really are the true Every Day Heroes!_

"Lets do this shit!" Warren takes out his rifle again and shoots out another powerful plasma blast, landing a direct hit on "The Masked Freak". He starts to groan and moan in pain and discomfort as he gets pushed back. Dana follows Warren's attack by creating multiple barriers around "The Masked Freak", but instead of protecting him, she uses them to confine and squish him. Dana then snaps her fingers, which causes the barriers to simultaneously explode. He groans more and starts to lose his ability to remain flying and is pushed back even more. Brooke takes out some plasma energy grenades from her suit and detonates them as soon as it reaches him, causing more devastating explosive damage. Kate quickly follows by putting all of her energy and electrical force on her right fist and punches him right in the face then combines it with a roundhouse kick. Kate's kick was so powerful that it sent him flying towards the cliff, causing half of the cliff and the remains of the lighthouse to collapse to the ocean.

_Jesus Christ Kate! You almost destroyed this entire cliff with that kick! You almost blew me away as well! That amount of force! Damn!_

"This is it! This should finish it!" Victoria shouts as she tightens her fists and lets out a terrifying scream. Max watches before her eyes, Victoria turn into a bird, more like a phoenix, completely made of free charging directly at him. Max realizes that he has not recovered or gotten back up from Kate's kick. Max can feel the heat from Victoria's phoenix form as it quickly approaches him, burning the air around her, and causing such a powerful impact that another chunk of the cliff collapses and the ocean waves beneath gets out of control. Max sees Victoria's Phoenix form slamming and dragging him across the rest of the cliff, barely missing her as they go past her, and sees all the remaining trees and plants on the cliff get vaporized instantly by the intense heat. A mile-length trail of red hot fire is left behind, leading to the final impact zone where burnt trees, boulders, trash, and other debris have piled up on top of him. Victoria emerges from it and re-joins the rest of the team who are now on the what is left of the cliff, just a few meters away from Max. Victoria is clearly exhausted and is breathing heavily but remains standing. She returns to her base form.

"Damn Victoria. That was awesome!" Kate compliments Victoria.

"We are all awesome guys. That went exactly as we planned. Good job everybody."

"D-did we kill him?" Warren asks quietly.

"I concentrated all of my energy and fire power on that one attack, an attack that could destroy this entire county if it was not focused, there is no way he is getting up from that." Victoria explains in confidence as the group looks at the impact zone.

"I think we better check it out just in case. I'm going to heal all of you as well in the meantime." Dana extends her arms and forms a pink powder or gas that shrouds them, that seems to heal all of them.

"Thank you Dana for the heals, now we need to confirm that he's really dead. I sure hope so." Victoria points towards the final impact zone and the group begin to walk towards it. Brooke and Warren take out another type of gun, which resembles a futuristic sub-machine gun. All of a sudden, they see an explosion that blows away the debris and they see "The Masked Freak" ascend to the sky, looking down at them.

"Dammit! He's still alive!" Victoria shouts in frustration.

"Yeah but look! His armor has been completely shattered!" Brooke points out that his armor has fallen apart, particularly around his right arm and part of his face, exposing his pale, wounded, burnt, and mutated skin. They see his left red eye looking down at them. His armor has suffered great amount of damage, while electrical discharge and smoke still coming off his armor.

"Team, begin to execute Plan E on my mark. Get ready." Victoria briefly commands but doesn't turn around to see the rest of the team because she can't stop looking at him, with a disgusted look on her face. The rest of team seem to share the same reaction, astonished that the person they are fighting is in such inhuman conditions.

_Is this guy even human? He looks like a mutant or a half machine-half human. They are not scars or wounds caused by recent events, they look like they have been there for a while. What the hell happened to this guy?_

"The Masked Freak" begins to chuckle to himself and then opens his arms wide open. He starts speaking with his intact voice communicator system.

"Good job on disabling and ripping apart my titanium armor. You guys are no longer mere bugs I admit. However, none of you are a match for me. I don't need to rely on my armor at all anyways. Thanks for the fun, but play time is OVER!"

Before any of them can react, he blazes through them and goes after Dana first. He creates a green binding circle of light around Dana, paralyzing her. Dana screams in agonizing pain and is unable to attack or move.

"DANA!" Brooke yells as she attempts to shoot him down but he easily dodges her SMG's plasma shots and teleports in front of her, rips her gun in half and shoots out an electric energy blast from his right hand that blasts her dozens of yards away with intense force, instantly knocking her out. Warren watches in horror. Kate starts to charge him.

"BROOKE! NO!" Warren tries to punch him from behind but he teleports away and gets behind Warren and karate chops him in the neck. Warren quickly grabs a grenade from his suit and throws it at him but his attacker grabs the grenade before it detonates and tosses it at Dana. The explosion knocks out Dana and she drops to the ground. Warren is paralyzed after witnessing that and is unable to defend himself from a kick in the stomach."The Masked Freak" then drags Warren's body across the cliff and slams his body at Brooke's.

Kate begins to spam her electrical energy beams but is unable to hit him at all, he easily dodges every single of them. He begins to fly around her as Kate increases the speed, power, and intensity of her attacks, hoping to match his abilities and hit him.

Victoria has remain frozen in place, in disbelief of what is happening around her and she can't believe how fast and powerful he really is. "He's faster than the speed of light..." Victoria utters.

Kate doesn't stop spamming her attacks at him until he teleports in front of her, shocking her briefly but she begins to attack him head on with her fists and kicks. They begin to trade blows all around the perimeter of the cliff. However, it doesn't seem that Kate is winning the fight at all.

"Kate, you are strong. However, not even your strength or even  _Jesus_ won't save you now." He taunts Kate as he grabs both of her hands, breaks her wrists, and slams her to the ocean. He then summons dozens of thunder bolts from the sky and propels them towards Kate while she's underwater. Despite being underwater, Max can feel and hear Kate screaming in agonizing pain.

_No! No! I can't watch my friends die! Why isn't Victoria doing anything? Why is she frozen still?! Doesn't she know they need her help? Fuck! They really need my help! I have to get out of this barrier! Dana has been knocked out but her protection barriers are still in place. Dammit! I have to break free!_

Max keeps punching all around the barrier with all the strength she has. She's realizing that she is starting to break it apart.

_It's starting to break! Gotta hit harder! Oh fuck, what is he doing now?_

Max sees him going in the ocean and quickly emerges, now holding Kate by her hair. Kate is no longer in her gold aura and is clearly unconscious. He throws Kate's body right in front of Victoria who has still not moved an inch. He teleports in front of Victoria and puts his right foot on Kate's neck.

"What's wrong Victoria? Shocked? In disbelief? You're not a real leader Victoria. You just watched all your buddies get knocked out and chose not to do anything. You're nothing more than a coward, you always were. You're still a bitch after all these years. It's all over for you and this pathetic town."

Victoria snaps out of her frozen state and lunges at him with rage. He avoids her fire punches and kicks with ease. Victoria starts to scream in rage and fires a fireball attack at the sky.

"Hey Victoria I'm over here you know? Have you gotten so blind by your rage and failure to save your friends that you can't even keep track of me?"

"Oh don't worry motherfucker, I know exactly where you're at!" Victoria extends her right hand and forms a fire circle around him in attempt to confine him. He breaks apart the fire spin attack but soon gets punched in the face by Victoria's fire fist. She quickly takes advantage of this and fires a powerful fire blast attack, landing a direct hit. She then gets away from him to create a distance between each other. The Masked Freak quickly recovers from the attack and compliments Victoria.

"Not bad Victoria. Not bad. However, your fire doesn't compare to the hell I have experienced!"

"You haven't seen anything yet freak. Look above you!"

Max looks up at the sky and sees that it has become red and the clouds have turn into literally fire. Suddenly, hundreds if not thousands of fire balls begin to rain from the clouds, all heading directly at him. He attempts to block them by using his hands however, he soon gets overwhelmed and decides to dodge them. Victoria starts to turn into her phoenix form again. The fire rain becomes intensely faster and more powerful, that it manages to land a few hits on him as he trying to dodge them. As soon as her phoenix form is ready, she charges directly at him, with more power and force than the one before.

"THIS IS FOR ALL THE PEOPLE YOU KILLED AND TORTURED! THIS IS FOR MY FRIENDS!" Victoria shouts just before she reaches him.

He chuckles to himself and creates a gigantic wall of water by using the ocean beneath them that shields him from Victoria's attack. She attempts to pierce through the water wall using all of her power and strength but is unable get through. Using the wall of water he created, he changes it into a water sphere that traps Victoria inside. He then waves his left hand towards the sky and the fire clouds gets evaporated, ceasing the fire rain.

"It's all over Vicky. You and your team have failed. I'll see you in hell my old friend."

"No! It's not over!" Victoria attempts to break free from the water sphere but her fire is no match for the water and his telekinetic abilities. He grabs Victoria by the throat and slams her right back at the cliff, just a few yards away from Max. Despite Victoria being on the ground and barely conscious, he has not removed his hold on her throat.

_No Victoria! No! Please don't die! I have to break this shit now! It's now or never! Or else she'll die! They will all die!_

Max hits barrier's walls harder than before and it starts to break even more.

"I sense somebody far more powerful nearby. You are not alone. Where is the real leader?"

"Fuck you motherfucker."

"Ha ha, now you and your friends will totally be stuck in the dead zone. Sad face! Now why don't you go fuck your selfie?"

"STOP!" Max shouts as she finally breaks free from Dana's barrier, completely shattering it in pieces. He turns around and takes a good look at Max and expresses shock and disbelief and stops choking Victoria.

"W-what? Who-what-Who are you?" He asks in a frighten and surprised tone of voice.

Max doesn't respond his questions, instead, she hits him with her own shockwave attack that slams him back towards the end of trail of fire that is still burning bright. Max rushes to Victoria's aid.

"M-Max?..." Victoria softly speaks to Max as she struggles to stay conscious.

"I'm here Victoria. Get some rest. Take it easy now. I'll take care of him."

"I...failed...my team...I failed...everybody..."

"No Victoria. You tried your best. You all did. I'll deal with him now. You'll be fine. Don't worry. "

"M-Max..." Victoria passes out.

"I will avenge all of you, don't you worry Victoria."

Max gets up and begins to approach him. She sees him slowly getting up and notices his left red eye starting right at her.

"T-this cannot be! W-who are you really?" He once again asks in completely panic.

"My name is Max Caulfield. I'm here to stop you from causing any more harm to my friends. I'm not sure who or what you are but I won't allow you to hurt anybody else."

" Max?! No-b-but that's impossible!"

"It's the truth! I'm very much alive! I bet you thought as everybody else that I was dead but no, I am alive!"

"No, I _know_  she is alive. I know because  _I am Max Caulfield._

 _"_ What!?" Max is taken completely by surprise.

"W-what do you mean by that? You're not me! What are you talking about?"

"Let me show you... _Max_..."

The other "Max" slowly takes off her cybernetic broken helmet, tosses it aside, and shows her face to Max.

_Oh...my...god...No way...No way this is real..._

Max stares at the person's burnt,wounded,and bloody face. She stares at her hairless bald head and her eyes. One red. One Blue. Despite all the physical differences between the two of them, there is one distinct facial feature still intact, her freckles. There is no more doubt in Max's mind that the person across from her is herself.

_How-how could this be? How is this even possible? What the fuck happened to her..I mean..me...what the fuck is going on here!?_

**CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 19**


	18. A Max Left Behind

**Chapter 18**

* * *

  **DATE UNKNOWN IN THE YEAR 2014**

Several minutes have passed by and Max has not taken her eyes off her alternative self. The ferocious winds and rain have ceased. The fire created by Victoria's attack still burning bright. However, there is nothing but silence. The two of them have not moved a single inch. Millions of questions and thoughts are flowing through Max's head but she is unable to utter a single word. The sight of another version of herself in such inhuman conditions have left her completely shocked and appalled, unable to speak or think properly. The alternative Max has started to heal herself and repair her armor suit by using some sort of pink energy or perhaps magic coming from her hands. She has not put back her armored helmet despite the fact that the ambient air and the heat from Victoria's fire is bothering her skin. The alternative Max unexpectedly starts walking towards Max with a smile on her face. Max is not sure what to say or how to react.

"I guess  _I_  have to be the one to break the silence."

Alternative Max begins to speak using her natural human voice, no longer using her suit's voice communicator. The alt-Max's words sends shivers down Max's spine. Although she has experienced something like this before, such as her nightmare at the cliff, this is far different. This feels more real. Hearing her own voice coming from her alternative self is something Max simply cannot comprehend. The Alt-Max realizes that Max is in limbo and lost for words. She once again smiles at her and takes a few steps to get closer to Max.

"I bet you are wondering how I ended up like this. I bet you are also wondering what made me do the things I have done. I bet you want to know what happened to...Chloe. Isn't that right? Chloe?..."

The mention of Chloe's name immediately breaks Max's lost mindset for a few seconds.

"Chloe! W-here is she? W-what happened to her?"

Max asks her alternative self these questions in a panic and out of instinct despite being told already by Warren about what happened to Chloe in this reality. The alt-Max stops smiling completely and starts to walk in circles around Max.

"Chloe...this all about Chloe. This is all because of her."

Max tries to connect the pieces together in her mind as best she can.  _Warren told me that I went crazy after Chloe's death. So I must have chosen to let her get shot by Nathan in the bathroom in this reality._

"You...sacrificed Chloe...in order to get rid of the storm...right?"

"Yes, that is what I chose to do. I just sat there crying like a coward as I heard my best friend and most important person in my life get shot to death by that motherfucker Prescott. Chloe convinced me to do it. If it wasn't for her speech at the cliff, I wouldn't have even consider it. It was the right thing to do she said. We had to save everybody. Me saving her in the bathroom started a chain reaction that spawned a huge storm and tornado. Letting her die would fix that..."

The Alt-Max stops walking in circles around Max and unexpectedly grabs Max's bullet necklace. Alt-Max's eyes begins to water a bit upon inspecting the necklace.

"It did get rid of the storm. No tornado came that Friday. Everyone was happy. Everybody was safe."

Alt-Max starts to laugh uncontrollably as if she was a high on drugs or something. Max remains still, just looking at her other self laughing like a lunatic.

"Everybody was happy...except for ME! You see other Max, apparently me and Chloe didn't think things through at all. Chloe especially! I love her to death but I don't know what she was thinking when she brought up that choice to me at the cliff. I don't understand how she possibly thought that everything would turn out great and everybody would live a happily ever after life. However, I was even stupider for listening and agreeing with her!

Alt-Max laughs even more and resumes walking around in circles around Max.

"We were both fucking idiots Max! It wasn't sunshine or rainbows at all. She died for nothing!  _NOTHING!_  Everything started falling apart right after she died in the bathroom!"

"W-what do you mean? What about the storm? It never came did it? You two saved everybody. Right?"

"No, that storm never came Max but that doesn't matter at all. Yeah, we saved everybody,just so they go on to live their meaningless and miserable lives on this shithole of a town. Wowsers! Apparently, both of us overlooked a lot of things and just focused on being superheroes and saving the day and everybody. We forgot how the real world fucking works!"

"W-what do you mean?"

"Oh Max, where do I even begin? I have been DYING to tell somebody about this and let it all out. Those quack doctors and psychiatrists tried their best to get it out of me but I always managed to pull through their bullshit methods and systems. I also couldn't tell any of those fuckers over there because I knew they would never believe me and even if I did tell them, they would think I'm crazy and they would have me locked up at a mental hospital. Which...happened anyways so ehh..."

Max observes the Alt-Max''s body language and movement. She pays attention to how her eyes are looking all over the place and how fast and unusual she is talking.

"To start things off...Nathan...didn't get charged for Chloe's murder! How about them apples? Wowser right?"

"H-huh? But that's impossible! There's no fucking way he could have been found innocent!"

"Oh c'mon Max! His father owns the fucking town and can afford the best of lawyers! It was a one-sided case!"

"How? How could that be? NATHAN SHOT CHLOE! IT IS SIMPLE AS THAT! HE CONFESSED! HE CONFESSED RIGHT?"

"I guess we thought that too but this isn't a fairytale Max. His confession didn't mean jack shit! We forgot that pretty boy Nathan was on some serious meds and had mental issues! The police obviously wasn't going to close their case on a Prescott, based on a confession by a poor mentally troubled kid! Of course they looked for other clues and evidence and...witness accounts..."

Max isn't following this at all nor believing the words coming out of Alt-Max's mouth.  _Nathan. Shot. Chloe. He. Killed. Her. I-well a Max was there to see it! What other possible conclusion could have the cops come up with?_

"But-I-I mean-you-well you know what I mean, you  _were_ there. You were the only witness to the crime! You saw and heard everything!"

" _Exactly_  Max. You're right. A  _Max_  was present in the bathroom when it happened. However, I guess we forgot about the fact that after using a photo time jump, the Max that used the time jump only takes control of  _that_  timeline's Max for a few minutes until that timeline's Max resumes to take over. The issue is that... _that_  timeline's Max had  _NO_  idea what happened in the bathroom other than seeing Chloe's dead body. That Max never heard how or why Nathan pulled the trigger to begin with. That Max's testimony was vague, useless, and questionable. Nathan's lawyers completely took advantage of that and more. The only other person who could have provided a witness account and testimony was David. However, David  _only_  heard the shot, he didn't know how it happened or what led up to it. Nathan's lawyers took advantage of that as well and told the judge that Nathan acted in self-defense. Those motherfuckers pieces of shits dared to blame Chloe for her own death. They brought up Chloe's criminal record and told the jury that Chloe was into drugs and was a known troublemaker. Of course the motherfuckin' jury believed their bullshit lies. A sad little rich kid who is part of the most respected and powerful family in town vs a punk teenage rebellious girl, who nobody liked. Do you get it now Max? That son of a bitch only got a minor weapon charge and walked away free from the electric chair. They pinned everything else on Jefferson! When that happened, my world fucking collapsed! I was already depressed and lonely but that just put me over the edge!"

Alt-Max keeps walking around in circles as Max tries to comprehend what she was just told.  _Those motherfuckers...Nathan walked way just like that? Self defense? Chloe died to save their asses from the storm and this is how they repay her? Letting her murderer walk away free? What the fuck? I mean...this makes sense in this totally fucked up world. Oh no, what the fuck?! Why the fuck didn't Chloe and I-well-this Max-at least think about all of this before we jumped into conclusions and tried to go back in time again in attempt to save everybody?_ Alt-Max once again grabs hold of Max's bullet necklace and stares right into her eyes. Alt-Max has tears flowing down her eyes however she is smiling and giggling like a mad person.

"Oh when I saw that son of a bitch get declared not guilty of Chloe's murder,I was ready to kill him and everybody in there. However, I have already realized by that point that my rewind powers were gone. I knew I would have been arrested if I tried to attack him so I held back for a bit. Chloe was on my mind 24/7. I couldn't stop thinking about her. I couldn't stop thinking why or how she made me do it. I couldn't stop thinking of the times we had together. I couldn't stop thinking about  _us._  The fact that I couldn't talk to anybody about her decision or our adventures didn't help at all. Every day that passed by made me crazier and crazier... I looked around my surroundings and thought to myself, 'Did I really let Chloe die for this shithole town and its people? The very same people who now badmouth her? Who are now calling her a skank drug whore who got what she deserved? The same people who would never know about her choice to let them live and would never understand it even if they were told about it? The same people who hates the town as much as she did and wants nothing more but to move away from it?'. She died in vain and is now considered nothing more than a forgotten lowlife trash that was in the wrong place at the wrong time. That type of shit drove me into insanity, my other self. I couldn't believe I was so stupid to choose to let her die a horrible death for these fuckers. I couldn't believe how these motherfuckers betrayed and shattered Chloe's name. Was I going to live the rest of my life feeling miserable and insane and let these people continue living and spitting on Chloe's grave and legacy? No, of course not. While  _that_  storm never came to Arcadia Bay... _the real storm was already in town._

"T-the-real storm?"

Max asks this question although deep down she already knows what her alt self means by that. Max starts to sweat and feels uncomfortable. In one hand, she understands how alternative self feels, however on the other hand, she feels disgusted and terrified about what her alternative herself has done and become.

"Yes-my other self. The real storm. I  _became the storm!_ I was going nuts to begin with but after the trial, I went loose. I decided to take action. I stopped crying alone in my room, I stopped going to Blackwell, I stopped my desperate attempts to get my powers back so I can go back to save Chloe. My parents sent me to a psychiatric ward when I was forced to move back to their house in Seattle. Oh, they tried their best to get me to talk. Drugs, therapy, counseling, and more but none of their bullshit methods worked on me. After a while, the nurses and doctors stopped trying and left me by myself almost 24/7. I hardly ate or drank. I never interacted with the other patients. I was on my own, alone in the world,plotting my revenge on Arcadia Bay. In those long hours alone, I realized that while my time travel powers were gone, I have obtained new powers, including telekinetic and magical abilities. Those longs hours of being alone and just concentrating on Chloe and my revenge allowed me to gain those powers it seems. One day, a familiar looking man came knocking on my door. It was a motherfuckin' Prescott. Sean Prescott, Nathan's father."

"Sean Prescott? What the fuck what did he want? He's the one who gave you that ring wasn't he?"

"Yes, he was the one. He and his buddies gave me it. He offered me help. He said that he has watched me and my progress and offered his services to help me get through the pain and suffering. He said he felt very sorry for me after the trial and that he knew Chloe wasn't the same person as his lawyers described in court. I wanted to scream in rage. I wanted to kill him right there. However, he showed me something interesting. He showed me some of his powers and told me that there are others out there with supernatural powers. Sean Prescott offered me to join him and his cult and they promised me to teach me how to control and expand my powers and abilities so I can have something to live for. They offered me all the money and resources in the world. I saw right through him. I knew he was bullshitting me. I knew he was up to something. However, I still accepted his offer."

_Sean Prescott? Oh shit. This all sounds familiar. I guess he always was keeping an eye on me in all the timelines. However, this Max willingly accepted a Prescott's offer, after what they did to Chloe? This other me is scaring the fuck out of me! She's nuts! Although...I kinda understand why._

"W-why did you accept his offer? He's not one to be trusted. He gave me this ring as well. He's a manipulative son of a bitch! He tricked me and forced me to do experiments with my powers! He threatened to kill Chloe if I didn't listen to him!"

"I accepted his offer because I wanted become even stronger and I was curious what else I can learn from him and his cult. Unlike you, I wasn't tricked. I knew what sort of shit I was getting myself into. I wanted to know all I can from his cult then used their knowledge and skills against them. I pretended to be their little pet and took part of their satanic rituals and ceremonies. I pretended that their brainwashing methods and tricks were working on me. I endured many barbaric practices and training. My disguise worked like a charm. They didn't suspect a thing. I did their bidding as well, just for fun and practice. I killed people who left the cult, people who were against the cult, and pretty much anybody they instructed me to kill. After months of learning everything I can from them and after being trained in martial arts, magic, weather manipulation, and telekinesis, I decided to initiate my revenge. That's when the fun began. Oh, I can replay that day over and over in my head forever. It was such a beautiful day for me!"

Alt-Max keeps smiling as she's telling Max her back story. An evil smile that makes Max completely uncomfortable. Alt-Max puts her hands on Max's shoulders.

"Let me tell you a bit about that day my other me. Looking back, maybe I acted too hasty but everything turn out just fine. In the middle of a ritual, I started attacking Sean Prescott and the others. I had them all trapped inside a barrier I created, similar to Dana's barriers, but more durable and wider. They were caught completely off guard. I still have their scared faces saved in my memory. I immediately killed my fellow cult members first then went for the big fish, Sean Prescott. It was a very difficult battle for me, I was outnumbered and I was getting attacked from all corners but I managed to beat all of them. Sean Prescott's powers was extremely hard for me to deal with at first, but he didn't had the necessary strength to put me down so I ended up kicking his ass. He begged me like a little bitch to stop killing everybody and to leave his family alone, in exchange for money. How pathetic is that? I made him experience a slow and terrifying death. I then decided to kill off every single member of the order and other cults affiliated with them immediately. In one day, I destroyed the entire New World Order...just like that. As you can see however, it wasn't easy as I make it sound. I was severely wounded, burnt, and beaten at the end of it but I never felt so alive! I wanted more! So I stole this suit they designed for the soldiers of the future to hide my identity. Before I destroyed Arcadia Bay and the rest of the world, I paid a visit to Jefferson and Nathan. It was so much fun torturing them! It was so much fun watching them die a slow painful death! You should have seen the looks on their faces, oh it was such a delight! You can probably guess everything else that happened after that. I vowed to destroy everything linked to Chloe's death and Arcadia Bay and I am accomplishing just that!"

Alt-Max lets go of Max and suddenly stops smiling and walking and sits down with her head down. Max is frozen still, unable to come up with a proper response or comeback. Max is scared of this person in front of her. She cannot believe at all that this person could be related to her, yet alone  _be_  her.  _Am I really capable of doing any of this? Would Chloe be happy if she saw all of this chaos and destruction? Would she want any of this to happen? I am scared to talk this other me. I am scared of her. I am scared of myself. I mean, I understand how the real world sucks and it is disgusting how Nathan became the innocent one from the shooting, but did it really had to come to this? Is Chloe's death worth all this death and destruction?_

Max realizes that Alt-Max has begun to cry. Max wants to help her and cheer her up but then she remembers what she was just told and hesitates to come any closer. Heavy rain begins to fall, follow by strong gusts of winds that puts out Victoria's fire. Max keeps staring at her other self and tries to imagine how she is feeling and going through right now. Minutes passes by without the two of them talking. Alt-Max breaks down more in tears which causes a thunderstorm to form. Max looks up at the sky, amazed of what her other self is capable of by merely using her emotions. Max decides to break the silence.

"C-Chloe...wouldn't have wanted you to do any of this! Chloe would not agree at all with what you have done! She sacrificed her own life to save the lives of others! Yet, you killed them anyways! You killed a lot of innocent people Max! Some of them were assholes yes and they deserved it but at what cost? This is not the Max that Chloe loved and considered her best friend. How can you possibly think that Chloe would've wanted any of this to happen or think that you're some sort of hero by doing this? I love Chloe to death but I know she would never forgive me if I did any of this to innocent people. You're worse than the tornado and Jefferson combined! Look at yourself! You are not human! You don't look or act human! You're a monster! A freak! You disgust me! I know you look like me but you  _are not me_! I hope I never become  _you_!"

Alt-Max stops crying and abruptly stands up. Max can feel the rage and increasing energy coming from her. A dark red aura begins to shroud Alt-Max. The rain, the wind, and the thunder intensifies. The ground beneath them shakes uncontrollably and the ocean's tides and waves get out of control. Alt-Max clenches her fist and strangles Max with her telekinetic powers. Max feels a very tight grip on her throat and gasps for air. She feels every bone of her body and her heart being compressed. She desperately tries to rewind time but cannot concentrate enough to do so. She attempts to use her own telekinetic attack on Alt-Max but that too is unsuccessful. Max struggles heavily for air and tries to fight back but she is quickly losing her strength and energy.

"You just don't understand my dear other self. You probably have the best of two worlds, you have Chloe and the ability to rewind time. I have NEITHER! I have nothing! You don't know how it feels to watch your best friend die for nothing! You don't understand how much I loved and cared for Chloe! You don't understand how depressed I got when I immediately regretted my decision but was powerless to change it back, no matter what I did! You don't understand how increasingly angry I got by hearing these stupid sheep badmouthing Chloe and believing the Prescott's and the media's every word. I don't give a damn if Chloe would agree with my actions or not, she shouldn't have even brought up that option to sacrifice her at the cliff to begin with! This is all Chloe's fault! This planet was full of corruptness and bullshit! I have CLEANSED the world! I did this fucking planet a favor! Look at you struggling to breathe! I thought you had your rewind powers. I guess not. Maybe that's the reason they gave you the ring as well. What a shame."

Max's life is fading away and her entire life flashes before her eyes. The immediate moment she starts to think about Chloe and their time they had together, Max regains some of her energy and manages to break away from Alt-Max's grip on her, by using a short rewind. However, Max immediately drops to her knees and coughs up a lot of blood. It was the most excruciating pain Max has ever felt.

"So, you  _do_  have your rewind powers huh? Interesting...I wonder why you have the ring to begin with. They gave me the ring in the hopes that I would regain my rewind back but that never happened. Maybe you can stop time as well? But if that was the case, you could have prevented my choke hold. I suppose I could let you talk and explain who you are and how you ended up here. However, I honestly don't care at all. It doesn't matter anyways. As I said before, I vowed to destroy everything linked to Arcadia Bay and Chloe's death. I'm almost done! There's only one more thing to take care of...well...now two things actually.  _Myself_. Now that you're here though, I suppose I need to kill you first. Yes, I was going to kill myself after today. I am the last thing remaining of this shit hole town and I was responsible for Chloe's death after all. There will be no trace of any of us or Arcadia Bay after today!"

Alt-Max smiles again and goes into a fighting pose, looking at Max with a demented face. Max struggles heavily to stand up and face her other self.

_Am I really going to fight myself? Max vs Max? Is this real? She was going to kill herself after today? What kind of fucked up timeline or alternative reality is this? This is not a fucking nightmare or a game anymore. I better start taking things more seriously, no matter how ridiculous those things might be! I almost fucking died a minute ago! I can't let that happen again. Chloe...if I ever get out of this mess...I'll do whatever it takes to make us and everybody else happy._

**CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 19**


	19. The Worst Enemy

**Chapter 19**

* * *

With the ground shaking uncontrollably, the intensity of the wind and rain, and the terrifying force and energy coming from her alternative self, it seems that this is the end for Max. She keeps coughing up endless blood as she struggles to stand on two feet. She has not recovered at all from Alt-Max's telekinetic choke on her. She feels pain all over her body and feels that she's about to collapse any second now. She looks at her alternative self and realizes that she's still in the same fighting position with a big grin on her face. Max stops coughing up blood and takes a deep breath while still keeping an eye on Alt-Max.

_This is going to be a fight to the death. I must...kill...myself...well this other me... Holy shit how is this even-No! Stop it Max! You don't have time to think about this shit! Your life is in danger! She's going to strike any second now! I'm going to have defend myself and defeat her if I want to get out of this place! Stay cool Max. She might look like you. She might be you from an alternative universe or timeline or whatthefuckever. However, she is not the real YOU. You are not this crazy lunatic person who's in front of you. You will never become her. She's just another obstacle in the way created by that mysterious being that is causing all of this shit to happen. Got it Max!? None of this shit is real! You don't know what the fuck this is but it doesn't matter now. You need to fight for your life. You need to fight to get the fuck out of here. It's time for you to get out of this mess._

Max composes herself, tightens her fists, and a powerful purple aura starts shrouding her body. Alt-Max smiles back and nods her head in approval.

"An Aura? Pretty cool Max! I like the color too...purplish. Looks like you got some fight in you after all. That's good. That makes things more interesting! This will be a nice farewell gift for all of us here! Let's destroy what's left of Arcadia Bay, shall we?"

Alt-Max carefully examines Max's aura.

_She's completely open and distracted. Should I strike now or keep a distance? I already know she's insanely fast and powerful but she doesn't have the rewind or any time powers according to her. I have to rely on my time powers to defeat her. I'm going to try this..._

Max snaps her fingers to stop time and looks around herself. Everything is stuck in time. The rain and the wind have stopped. She turns around and looks at Alt-Max who's frozen still. Seeing her Time Stop work perfectly, Max relaxes and catches her breath.

_Phew...okay...well...sorry other Max. No fight for you._

Max walks towards her other self and comes face to face with her to take a closer look at her eyes and facial conditions.

"It's very hard to feel sorry for you other Max. It's clear that you went through a lot. I understand your frustration and anger at the world...but to become who you are today...that's not redeemable. If Chloe was alive, she would REJECT YOU! She wouldn't LOV-"

Before Max could complete her sentence, she is struck abruptly in the jaw by a punch from Alt-Max's right hand that forces Max to fall. Alt-Max chuckles to herself and time resumes to normal.

"I can't believe you fell for that Max. You probably thought it was all over and that you could just walk away. You're not getting away from me that easy. The Time Ring grants me some immunity to your time powers. You only managed to put great stress on my body and slow me down a bit, but I can still move around just fine! Nice job on freezing everything else though. I'm quite jealous that you have a time stop ability. However, that won't be enough to save you. Not even close."

Max is taken completely by surprise and struggles to get right back up after that blow to her jaw. For the first time in a long time, Max begins to feel fear.

_She...she can move around in my time stop...fuck. How about a rewind?_

Max extends her arm and rewinds time to the point before she tried her Time Stop. However, as everything else is getting rewound, she and Alt-Max haven't changed positions. Max is stunned in disbelief.

"Oh, that was your rewind! That brings me back good ol' memories. As you can see, your rewind doesn't affect me at all. I'm not sure why though. It could be because of the ring or it could just be because my body is used to the rewind power. Either way, your time powers can't do jack shit against me. You have to try harder than that Max."

Alt-Max grins again and goes back to her usual fighting position waiting for Max to fight her, hand to hand.

_My time stop doesn't really work on her, it only slows her down but that's about it. My rewind is useless. This is a nightmare. She's a million times more dangerous than the dragon! The worst enemy I can ever faced...is myself?_

"I can tell that you are feeling lost and hopeless. Here, let me show you something before I finish you off. Remember I said that I lost my rewind powers and they gave me the time ring so I had a chance to regained it? Well, that never happened. However, the time ring  _does_  allow me to do an unique time ability. Let me demonstrate. Focus on your left knee and wait two seconds."

"W-wait two seconds? What are you doing to do- OH FUCK!"

Max screams in agonizing pain and drops to the ground and puts her hands on her left kneecap. She begins to shed tears from the excruciating pain she is feeling. It feels like her knee was just ran over by a car or kicked by a horse. Max is unable to stand up at all and feels that her leg has been fractured. Her entire body is trembling from the blow.

_What the fuck did she do? What the fuck was that? I didn't see her move at all! What the fuck?! THIS IS THE WORST PAIN I EVER FELT!_

"Don't cry like a baby Max. Be a real woman! Just like Chloe would say. Did you like my little trick?"

"What the fuck did you to do you fucking son of a bitch!?" Max screams with completely anger and hate in her voice.

"Hey! Remember! Don't talk about our mom in that way! That was my new time ability. I call it...Time-Skip."

"T-Time Skip!?"

"Yes, Max. Time-Skip. I can skip time for a few seconds. To you, it doesn't like I moved at all but  _I did_. In those few seconds or so, I can move around freely and do anything I want. A few seconds may not sound like a lot for anybody to do anything but trust me, for somebody like me, it's plenty of time to land a good hit. Just think of it like an upgrade to your Time Stop! Anyways, how did you like it? Amazeballs right? Wowser shaka brah right?"

Alt-Max laughs to herself and steps on Max's knee cap, causing her to scream more in pain. The unbearable pain is making Max cry even more and she feels hopeless and powerless. She is ready to give up. She wants to beg for mercy at this point. She cannot stand up or move at all.

_I'm going to die. There's nothing I can do. I can't even move or stand up anymore. I failed. I can't possibly win. As much as my leg hurts, nothing hurts more than the fact that I will never see Chloe again. I failed everybody in the real timeline. They are all going to die. Again. It's all my fault. I'm going to get killed by another Max Caulfield. How fucking fitting. This is how it fucking ends!_

"DON'T SAY THAT SHIT MAX! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU SAYING? GET UP TIME WARRIOR! YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DIE! NO WAY! NOT TODAY MAX! I GOT YOU MAX! I WILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR YOU!"

"CHLOE?"

Max shouts as she hears Chloe speaking to her, apparently telepathically as Alt-Max looks confused upon hearing Chloe's name. Obviously, there is Chloe present with them.

"Chloe is not here Max. She's dead. And you say I'm the crazy one? Who's crazy now?"

_Chloe...oh my Chloe...just hearing your sweet voice...makes me feel better...and powerful..._

Suddenly Max feels empowered, rejuvenated, and relaxed. She stands up and looks right at her alt-self, who is looking back at her with a shock expression on her face. Max moves her left leg and no longer feels any pain at all. She notices that she is now shrouded with a blue and red colored aura. Alt-Max expresses fear and panic for the first time.

"H-how are you standing up? Where did you get that incredible energy and power from? I now sense...two energy forces within you...but how is that even possible!?"

Max once again hears Chloe speaking to her.

"You have something that she doesn't have. Me. My love. Now go kick her ass and get out of this mess."

_Chloe...How...are you speaking to...no... Never mind that now. Thank you Chloe. I love you._

"I know."

Max focuses her attention on Alt-Max and without any more hesitation, lunges at her with a barrage of punches. Alt-Max is caught off guard at first but manages to react fast enough to block all her punches. Max tries kicking as well but Alt-Max easily dodges or blocks all her attacks. Although she has not landed a single hit, she notices that Alt-Max has been forced to go on the defensive side and is unable to fight back. Max decides to stop time and resumes her assault. Despite not freezing Alt-Max, the time stop makes her move slightly slower and she soon gets overwhelmed by Max's punches. Alt-Max struggles to keep up and forces herself to teleport away from Max to avoid getting hit and to keep a distance between the two of them.

"Damn you Max. Your speed and strength are impressive! It's time for the real fun to begin though!"

Alt-Max points at the sky and despite Max freezing time, dozens of lightning bolts are hurled towards Max. She watches the lightning bolts coming at her in bullet time and casually dodges them as they pass her and hit the ground. She realizes that more and more lightning bolts are coming at her and decides to focus on them. Using her mental concentration, she stops them in place and redirects them towards Alt-Max. Alt-Max reacts and redirects the bolts to hit the ocean instead. Max decides to use this distraction to use her telekinetic choke hold on her other self. Alt-Max gasps for air as she struggles to escape from Max's mighty grip on her lungs. There is a power struggle between the two of them.

Alt-Max extends her hands to possibly counter choke Max but cannot do so. Desperate to escape Max's grip, she levitates a huge chunk of the lighthouse and hurls it at Max, who is forced to lose her focus on Alt-Max to deal with the incoming obstacle. Max waves her arm to create a powerful shock wave that completely destroys the lighthouse and pushes Alt-Max back a bit. Alt-Max starts to shout in an unintelligible language and creates a binding circle around Max. However, Max's aura pushes the binding circle away and destroys it. Immediately afterwards, Alt-Max opens her arms and creates a huge wave, from the ocean, behind Max. The wave is about to devour Max but she manages to freeze it in place and reverse it back to the ocean using her rewind. Max turns around to see Alt-Max really starting to get worried.

To avoid getting caught in a choke hold again, Alt-Max decides to use her Time-Skip powers.

"Dammit Max. You are more powerful than me. I will admit that. However, there's nothing you can do against my Time-Skip!"

Max tries to lunge at her but gets hit in her left leg again by an apparent kick from Alt-Max. A few seconds later, she feels a sharp pain in her stomach as if she was kicked there as well. Another few seconds later and Max feels like she's been punched in the jaw again. However, all the pain she receives quickly disappears as if they had no effect on her at all. As Max is walking towards Alt-Max and feels more jabs and kicks hitting her all over her body, Max realizes something. For a fraction of a second and each time before she gets hit, she sees nothing but flash of blue light. While she doesn't see Alt-Max moving at all, she  _feels_  her moving and notices that after every time she gets attacked, Alt-Max looks more visibly tired.

_She's getting tired from using her Time Skip ability constantly. Her attacks are not even hurting me at all anymore. While I can't visibly tell when she attacks me, I can feel when she does. I see flashes of blue just before each attack. Maybe...Maybe if I used my time stop during the time she uses her time skip..Maybe...something will happen...just have to time it right._

Max stops walking and just stands there waiting for the next Time-Skip attack. She focuses on Alt-Max and as soon as she sees that flash of blue light, she quickly snaps her fingers to stop time and catches Alt-Max stuck in place, a few inches away from her, about to punch her in the face. Max realizes that this time, Alt-Max is truly frozen in place. She checks her surroundings and notices that they are not at the cliff. There's actually nothing around them, just distorted colors and shapes.

_What is this place? It's like I'm inside an old tv channel or something. Could this be... an alternative reality? A dimension? The space time continuum? Who the hell cares...my time stop fully stops my other self in this place. That's all that matters._

Max carefully approaches Alt-Max, grabs her hand, and removes her Time Ring. While still holding her hand, she resumes time then punches Alt-Max right in the face that makes her drop to the ground. Max quickly puts on the other Time Ring on her left hand's ring finger and displays it for Alt-Max. Max starts to feel even more powerful. She senses dark energy within the ring but is able to control it. Max checks around and notices that they are back at the cliff, confirming that Alt-Max's time skip has something to do with that strange other world or dimension.

"H-how did you do that? What the fuck!? Give me that ring back!"

"Sorry, I'm afraid I can't do that."

"GIVE IT BACK TO ME OR ELSE!"

"Or else what? You can't use your time-skip anymore! I figured out your little trick! None of your magic and telekinetic attacks can touch me. Your punches and kicks don't even hurt me anymore. This fight is over!"

"NO! THIS IS NOT OVER! NEVER! I'M NOT GOING TO LOSE TO A PATHETIC VERSION OF MYSELF! NOT AFTER EVERYTHING I WENT THROUGH! NO WAY IN FUCKING HELL! FUCK YOU! FUCK ARCADIA BAY! FUCK THIS WORLD! FUCK THE FUCKING GOD OR UNIVERSE FOR CURSING ME WITH THIS FUCKING POWER AND PUNISHING ME FOR USING IT TO SAVE MY FUCKING FRIEND! FUCK EVERYBODY!"

Alt-Max starts to screams in anger and frustration which causes even more uncontrollable ground shaking, lightning strikes,and powerful winds. The rest of the cliff collapses to the ocean, only leaving the pieces of where the two of them are standing on. Alt-Max kneels down, opens her arms, and punches the air itself, created a hairline crack mid-air.

_What the hell? D-Did just she crack the air?_

Suddenly, Max feels the ground, the ocean, and even the sky itself get tilted. It is as if, the entire world is turning upside down.

_What the fuck is happening now? The ocean, the ground, and the sky is getting tilted! I can barely hang on on this little piece of land left! I-Is she tilting and moving the entire fucking planet?_

Alt-Max stops screaming and begins to chuckle and taunt Max. She points to the horizon.

"Look Max. Look at the ocean."

Max turns around and sees dozens of tornadoes all over the horizon, with some already approaching the town. They are all equal in size to the tornado that was caused by Max's power. Max turns her head in disbelief.

_No...no way...all those tornadoes!? They are going to destroy everything! I-I can rewind this though!_

"You can't rewind this Max. You can't stop it. It's too late now. We and Arcadia Bay will be destroyed soon. You are powerless to stop it."

Despite hearing this, Max attempts to rewind time but nothing is changing.

"Do you believe me now Max? I have cracked reality itself. Soon...the entire world is going to get destroyed and there's nothing you can about it!"

Max tries to rewind and stop time again but her attempts are futile. Her powers are not reversing nor stopping the tornadoes nor anything else. Somehow, Alt-Max's reality breaking shockwave punch was so powerful that not even time itself can stop the aftermath. Alt-Max nods her head and smiles.

"So, it looks like I won. It's all over for you and everybody else. Go ahead and kill me now! It won't make a difference though. Do it.  _Do it now_!"

Max, frustrated as hell, focuses on Alt Max's heart and crushes it, killing her instantly. Max watches Alt-Max's smirk disappear from her face and watches her lifeless body fall down to the ocean.

However, she is not relieved at all as the damage has been done. The tornadoes are still coming, the thunderstorm is still happening, the ground is shaking out of control, and the entire world is falling apart.

_How am I going to get out here? I can't rewind this! I can't stop this! I can't do anything! She was right. Killing her made no difference. I need to wake up NOW! Chloe! Help me please! Anybody! Please help me!_

"Max...look at the cracks she made."

Max hears Chloe talking to her again in her mind.

"Crack?"

"Yes, look at where she punched the air."

Max looks at the hairline cracks Alt-Max made by punching the air. Although it is barely visible, she can see through the cracks and realizes that there is something on the other side of it.

"There's something inside there right?"

"Yes, Max. Hurry! Punch it and crack it some more and you will get out of here!"

"But where am I going?"

"You'll find out...now GO!"

Max flies towards the cracked part of the air and punches it more, creating a bigger hole. She enters the hole and finds nothing but darkness. She hesitates but decides to explore more of this pitch dark place, whatever it is. She turns back and sees that the hole she entered through has been converted to a portal. The doe and the blue butterfly appear behind her and they quickly pass by her to enter the portal. Max, completely trusting Chloe's word, decides not to question any of this, and gladly enters the portal.

**CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 20**


	20. The Last Stand

**CHAPTER 20**

* * *

Max opens her eyes and sees Pvt. Steven's bloody and battered face looking right at her. He is slowly carrying her somewhere. He smiles at her and is relieved that she has finally snapped out from her zombie-state. He puts her down and falls down on his knee, groaning in pain. Max sits up and looks at him and around her. She's back with Private Stevens on the alternative universe's Earth. Pvt. Stevens is clearly wounded and injured. He has multiple lacerations and his entire body is covered in blood. His clothes are completely torn apart and he probably has a broken rib or two. He starts to speak but is suffering from shortness of breath. Max goes to his aid and tries to pick him up.

"Hey you! I'm...glad...that...you...finally...woke...up...Max..."

"John! You're alive! Oh my god, what happened to you? What happened over there?"

"Well...after...after...you got hit by that portal...She...sent...hundreds of...creatures at me...I...had to defend ourselves...I got ripped apart...but...I managed to kill most of them...and managed to run away?"

"You carried my body as you ran away from them? Why? How?"

"Probably my adrenaline...I could't leave your body behind...I had to protect you...just like you protected me...we are...a team..."

"I appreciate you carrying me to safety...you must be in so much pain...do you have a First Aid Kit with you?"

"Believe me Max...the pain is overwhelming...and no...I don't have one...it got lost in the fight..."

"John...we must got back to retrieve it! With all your wounds and cuts...they might get infected...and you will..."

"Max...I'm going to die. No first aid kit is going to help me. My injuries are just too severe...for me...to keep going..."

"John, please don't say that! You're going to be fine! Just hang in there!"

"No, Max. I have accepted my fate. The only...thing...that was keeping me alive...was the chance to talk to you again..."

"About what? Please John, you're going to make it! I just need to kill that bitch and we'll be back home!"

"That's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about...HER! Max...listen to me...I have thought about a way...to...get to her...I tried it...but I was too weak..."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Remember...the vision or...illusion I had...of my wife...and kids..at the beach...remember...I said...how happy I was...well...I was also...at peace...and relaxed. For a moment...I felt no fear, no stress, no worry, nothing but peace. I didn't realize until later...that when I was in that exact moment and state...something around me changed. Just for a second or two...I was transported somewhere else. This place, whatever it was, was not the beach where I was supposedly at. I saw...a castle..or a palace...and a glimpse...of HER! A long haired tall woman figure sitting on a throne. It only lasted for a few seconds. I didn't think much of it then...but now...I realize that...it was Her! Max! The next time...you get hit by a portal...do not show fear, think any negative thoughts, or fall for any of her tricks regardless if they are good or bad. The only...winning move...is not to play...that might your chance to take the battle to her directly and end this once and for all."

Pvt. Stevens collapses to the ground and grabs two things from his pockets. One of them is a picture of his family and the other is a .50 caliber Desert Eagle.

"Max...take the gun...I know that you don't like guns...but if you need it...it's there. It's the gun...my father gave me...when I joined the military...I don't have a use for it any longer. It's locked and loaded. Please take the picture as well...I wrote a message on the back of it...if you ever do get out of here...give it to my wife. She lives in Helena, Montana. Her name is Stacey. Promise me please..."

Max feels devastated and sheds a tear as she looks at the family picture but quickly wipes it off and smiles. She knows that there's nothing she can do to help him. He has accepted his fate. To ignore or reject his wishes would be a dishonor. She puts the gun inside her backpack. She comforts him as he's groaning in pain and coughing up blood.

"I promise you John that I will pay a visit to your family and tell them what a brave man you were. Thanks for the gun...I'm honored that you gave me such a prized possession. Thank you for the advice. I'll make sure that I will fix everything. I'm going to defeat her and save everybody. Everybody is going to be safe. I promise you that. I might have to reset a timeline or two and erase these moments we had together but you'll be alive...in a future worth living in."

John takes a deep breath and smiles.

"That's...fine...with me. Follow my advise Max. You're a great kid. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise. When you confront her, show her what a human can do. Kick her fucking ass Max!"

Both of them share a nervous laugh.

"I will soldier."

"Good. By the way... I...figured out...what you said...in Latin...when..you...killed that creature...it was...the word... _Deleo_..."

"De-leo?"

Suddenly, a shining white light appears from the sky, blinding John. However, Max is not affected by the light. She realizes that they are surrounded by dozens of reptilian barbarians which seems to be more formidable in size compared to the previous creatures they encountered. A portal appears as well and heads towards her. Max freezes the portal and prepares to attack the creatures but is stopped by Pvt. Stevens.

"Max...don't waste your energy or power. I'll take care of them. Consider this my last stand. Take that portal of hers. You know what to do...and Max...don't forget what we talked about.  _Deleo_... "

"Never."

Pvt. Stevens smiles at her, stands on one knee, and takes out two semi-automatic pistols and starts unloading on the creatures. Max stops concentrating on the portal and allows it to hit her. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes as the portal reaches her.

_Thank you John for everything. It's time to put your theory to the test._

Max remains still with her eyes closed. She knows that she's been teleported somewhere else. However, she refuses to open her eyes and move at all. She remains calm by standing still and breathing normally. She begins to think of the happiest moments and the most important people in her life. Her childhood. Her parents. Her Seattle friends. Her friends at Blackwell. Her week with Chloe. Chloe herself. Their possible future together. Although her eyes are shut, she can sense the presence of several others around her. She begins to hear voices of several people speaking to her, including the voices of Victoria, Kate,Brooke, Principal Wells, Rachel, Nathan, her alternative future fiance, Stella, Warren, Joyce,Frank, and others.

"MAX, YOU ARE NO HERO! YOU'RE SUCH A FUCKING LOSER!"

"YOU'RE A MONSTER MAX!"

"NOBODY CAN EVER LOVE SOMEBODY LIKE YOU!"

"YOU ARE MILLIONS OF TIMES WORSE THAN JEFFERSON!"

"YOU THOUGHT THAT I WAS THE MENTALLY UNSTABLE ONE MAX? LOOK AT YOU! LOOK AT WHAT YOU'RE CAPABLE OF! YOU NEED BE LOCKED UP!"

"THANK YOU ERASING US FROM EXISTENCE MAX! ALL FOR YOUR STUPID PUNK GIRLFRIEND!"

"I HOPE YOU FUCKING DIE MAX!"

"HEY MAX! THANK YOU FOR KILLING ALL OF US OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN!"

"YOU'RE GOING TO DIE MAX!"

"SAY HELLO TO RACHEL IN HELL FOR ME MAX!"

"YOU ARE NOTHING MAX!"

"YOU WILL LOSE EVERYTHING!"

"YOU HAVE DESTROYED THE TOWN, THE PLANET, AND NOW YOU'RE GOING TO DESTROY THE ENTIRE FUCKING UNIVERSE!?"

"NOBODY LOVES YOU MAX. NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOU. _YOU_ ARE THE ONE WHO WANTS TO BE PLAY GOD!"

"KILL YOURSELF MAX! YOU CAN REDEEM YOURSELF BY DOING THAT!"

"YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A PUPPET! YOUR MASTER IS WAITING FOR YOU!"

"YOU CANNOT WIN MAX! YOU  _WILL_   _NOT_  WIN!"

Despite all these constant insults, Max remains calm and still. She has a smile on her face and she keeps thinking of all the great moments she spent with Chloe and what their future might look like. She has become immune to the insults. She has learned not to fall for the bait. Suddenly she hears Chloe's voice inside her mind, speaking to her.

"Max...open your eyes and heads towards the light."

Max does as she is told, without any thought or hesitation. Among the darkness and voices, she sees a white light ahead of her. She start to walks towards it. She continues to hear the same voices, now all at the same time, insulting and speaking to her rapidly. However, Max simply ignores them and continues walking.

Suddenly, hundreds of people who she knows and doesn't know, appear in front of her and instruct her to stop. Max simply ignores them and passes through them. The "people" keep insulting her and beg her to stop walking but Max doesn't even acknowledge them. As she passes through the "people", they and their voices begin to fade away.

As she's about to reach the light, Max notices that the spirit doe is walking by her side and the blue butterfly is flying around her. A raven also joins in and lands on her right shoulder. Feeling more fearless, determined, confident, and powerful than ever, she reaches the light which causes everything around her to shatter like glass as soon she makes contact with it.

As the reality she was in shatters, she starting seeing a huge lustrous building in front of her, that resembles an Ancient Greek or Roman palace. It's fully covered in gold and is around 10 stories tall and wide as four city-blocks. There is a river and a bridge ahead of her that seems be the only way to enter the palace. She looks up and down and realizes that she must be in the middle of space. She can see endless stars, planets, and galaxy dust all around, including beneath her. The doe, the butterfly, and the Raven have disappeared. She takes her first step towards the palace but stops walking as she hears an eerie tremendous voice coming from it. It's Her.

"CCCCAAAAAAAAUUUUUULLLLLLLLFFFFFFFFIIIIEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLDDDDD"

**CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 21**


	21. When Worlds Collide

**Chapter 21**

* * *

Max, not feeling intimidated, stands her ground as she watches a feminine being, dressed like a Greek Goddess, and shining with a divine white aura, appear before her. She's about 12 feet tall, has long black hair that reaches to her feet, has blue human eyes, and has a face like it was carved from angels. Initially expressing no emotion, "She" suddenly smiles at Max and snaps her fingers, causing the environment around them to completely change. Max looks around and realizes that they are now in the middle of a jungle or a forest. She turns back to face "Her" who starts to speak to her now, more clearly and human than ever.

"Max Caulfield...everybody's favorite pet...you...have finally arrived. You have done...what no one else has...reach me. I must give you credit Max. Despite my efforts, it seems like all I did is make you even stronger. You are indeed...special...however...your journey ends now. Believe me Max...you are in a battle you have no chance of winning. You cannot change the fate of your world."

Max clenches her fists, clears her throat, and fires back at her.

"I don't give a fuck miss wanna be god. You do not scare me! Your tricks no longer have any affect on me! It's time for you to get a good ass kicking, in the name of my town, my friends, my love, and everybody from Earth! It is  _you_  who is in a battle that you have no chance of winning!"

Max removes her backpack and drops it, which causes a few items to fall out, including her camera, her switchblade, the Desert Eagle, and some soda cans wrapped in duct tape and wires. She grabs the blade and gun and puts them on her pockets.

_Those...soda cans...look like pipe bombs...just like the one I created by following Warren's instructions to blow up Principals Wells's door. Pvt. Stevens must have created them and lend me them._

"She" sighs and shakes her head.

"Oh Max...you have no idea what's in store for you. I been...watching you  _too_...you don't know the real truth, however, it's not like your pathetic human brain can possibly comprehend it anyways. But very well then..."

"She" snaps her fingers and once again changes the environment, now they are outside an erupting volcano and pools of lava surrounds them. Max can feel the intense heat and the force from the erupting volcano but ultimately remains unfazed by it. Due to the volcano ash, Max is unable to see or sense anything else except for the two of them. Max shifts her focus back on Her, not concerned about what is going around her, and realizes that She has changed appearance.

_N-no way...what the fuck? Huh?_

"She" blows away the volcano ash from her and reveals her new appearance. "She" now has blue hair, a blue beanie, wearing jeans, and is wearing a misfit skull tank top.

_She transformed herself...into Chloe? S-s-she looks exactly like her!_

Max is caught completely off guard and "Chloe" realizes it and starts to taunt Max by speaking with Chloe's voice.

"Now then...shall we play?"

Max's feelings of confidence and empowerment suddenly disappears. Maybe it's because of what is happening around her. In just under a minute, the environment around her has changed from somewhere in the middle of space, to a jungle, and now she's just outside a volcano surrounded by lava. Maybe it's because deep down, she recognizes that perhaps she is in a battle she has no chance of winning and has no idea who she's dealing with. Maybe it's because this mysterious goddess being has transformed herself into the love of her life and best friend, Chloe Price. After all, it feels like a lifetime since Max has seen her punk best friend Chloe in front of her. Not an alternative universe's Chloe. Not a dead Chloe. The Punk Chloe she felt in love with. The Punk Chloe she spent that amazing shitty unforgettable week together. The punk Chloe she can't wait to hug and kiss when this is all over. If this is ever over, of course.

Max observes the "Chloe", who is only a few feet away from her, giving her winks,flirty smiles, and other facial expressions. Apparently, this otherworldly being has somehow mastered the ability to mimic Chloe's personality and body language. Max can't help herself. Although she realizes that this is not the real Chloe, one side of her wants nothing more but to go up to her and hug her. Feel her. Kiss Her. She doesn't want to play the hero any longer. She doesn't want to partake in any more violence. She doesn't want to suffer anymore. She is sick and tired of all the time traveling mindfucks she has experienced. She wants no more of it. "Chloe" realizes that Max is frozen still and is just watching her, obviously conflicted on what to do.

"Max, we don't need to fight at all if you don't want to. I know all you want is...me...Why cause more unnecessary death and destruction? You're not a fighter Max. You're not a superhero. You don't need to act like one. You don't need to suffer anymore. Come with me Max. You'll be safe. I'll treat you well. I know you're tired of all of this...nobody can blame you. You can live a wonderful, long, and enlightening life with me. Join me please."

"Chloe" starts walking over to Max with open arms. Max remains still, unsure what to say or react.

_One side of me knows this is wrong. It knows that this is all a trick. However...the other side...doesn't care. I don't want to deal with this shit anymore. I want to live the rest of my life with Chloe...even if it is a fake Chloe. No! What the hell are you saying Max? Snap out of it! But...I can't resist this! It feels so wrong yet at the same time...it feels so right. Am I coward for accepting the easy false life? Am I a fool for challenging a powerful godly being? I-I...I don't know what to do! She's quickly approaching!_

As "Chloe" walks towards Max, among the intense heat, a familiar voice returns to speak to her within her mind. It is the real Chloe Price.

_Max! What the fuck man? What are you doing?_

_Chloe!? Is that really you?_

_Yes, it's the real me dork. Why are you falling for such an obvious trap? Haven't you learn anything?_

_I-I'm sorry Chloe...but...I just realized that...I don't want to do this! I can't just fight this superpowered alien god thing! Who the fuck am I? I'm nothing!_

_Do I really have to repeat myself Caulfield? After everything...you have forgotten who you are and how special you are?_

_I know Chloe...I won't ever forget what you said...but I-I can't do this!_

_Look Max! She is tricking you! Don't give in! That's what she does! You can and will do this! Don't bail on me and everybody else! We're all counting on you Time Warrior! I know this is extremely difficult for you to deal with. But when this is all over and it will be over...you can live the rest of your life peacefully. I'll make sure of that. I love you Max Caulfield..._

_Y-You love me?_

_Yes, of course I do._

_I-I love you too Chloe._

_Good. Now Max, she's about to ask for your decision. You know what to do. Kick her ass Max. You're our last hope. See you Max...but don't worry...you won't be alone..._

_Chloe! Don't leave me!_

_Never!_

"Chloe" reaches for a hug but Max evades it, which could only mean one thing. "Chloe" starts to chuckle and shake her head.

"So that's your decision huh? I thought you were smarter than that Max. What a shame. You would've been something special...but now...well...I guess it's time to play with you."

"Nice try bitch. I am not going to fall for any of your tricks and illusions. I know all about them! Go launch more portals at me! Go ahead and throw everything you got! I will defeat you. In the name of the real Chloe Price and everybody I know and love and for the human race, I shall destroy you!"

"You're a damn childish fool Max. Very well then...let us begin with two percent..."

"Two percent?!"

"Yes, two percent of my full power. That should be enough to deal with you..."

"Chloe" winks again at Max and stomps the ground with her right foot. Immediately, the ground starts to shake violently and completely break apart, exposing an ocean of magma below them. In a matter of seconds, several miles of rock and earth has been completely destroyed, except for a small piece of ground they are both standing on. Max, surprised on how quickly and casually "Chloe" has destroyed nearly everything around them, knows she doesn't have time to play around. She needs to act now.

Max rewinds time before "Chloe" stomped her foot and stops time. She immediately goes for a force choke on "Chloe's" heart and throat but is unable to sense either on her body. She tries her hardest to find a vital organ or something to choke or rip apart from inside but is unable to find anything.

_What the hell? She doesn't have a heart!? Or a throat!? I...I can't sense or feel anything inside her! Is she a ghost or a spirit? Is she somehow blocking my attack? What kind of thing is she? At least she is affected by my time stop...that's good. I would be in serious shit if she-_

Before she can finish her thought, "Chloe" somehow breaks free from the time stop, looks around, and points at Max.

"So that's your time powers eh? The ability to rewind my attacks and completely stop time, including me? Excellent! Good work Max! Your powers are truly remarkable! However, that is not enough to defeat me or enough to save yourself. Rewind this!"

"Chloe" stomps her foot again and destroys the ground beneath them like last time but immediately afterwards, raises her arms and forms a gigantic tidal wave of magma behind her almost instantly. The tidal wave is miles wide and as high as a five story building. "Chloe" winks and hurls the wave directly at Max, with terrifying intensity and power.

_OH SHIT!_

Barely managing to react, Max uses her Time Stop to freeze the tidal wave before it devours her. She sees "Chloe" nodding her head in approval and decides to re-direct the wave back to where it came from.

"Have a taste of your own attack!" Max yells, extends her right hand, and hurls the wave at "Chloe" with even greater speed and power. However, "Chloe" doesn't seem to be concerned and with a flick of her wrist, knocks the wave down.

_Holy fuck. She makes it look easy. I have to think of something...I better put my backpack back on...just in case._

"Chloe" starts to shine with her white aura and then tightens her fists, like she's crushing something. Suddenly, the erupting volcano explodes which sends not only lava but rocks and debris flying everywhere. Unable to react in time, Max gets blown far away from the blast and gets slammed by the flying volcanic rocks and debris. After getting hit several times, she manages to block the rest of the incoming rocks and debris with her hand. In mid-air, she stops and rewinds time before the explosion happened. She rewinds everything,except for all the mid-air volcanic rocks that are frozen in place. Max, now shrouded in her red and blue aura, flies and heads towards "Chloe", who is looking for her. She decides to do a surprise quick attack and launches all the rocks and debris directly at "Chloe" who looks shocked to see her. Her attack seems to have been successful but remains on alert.

Max remains flying as the smoke clears, revealing "Chloe" who looks unharmed and undamaged. "Chloe" starts to fly as well and approaches Max with a grin on her face.

"Hey, that wasn't a bad idea Max. Rewinding my explosion and using the debris against me. You're quite a creative little girl. But I guess you haven't learned something very important. I am not affected by my own attacks and techniques!Using them against me is useless! So what's next?"

_Dammit! That didn't work! None of my counterattacks are working!_

"Chloe" snaps her fingers and once again changes the environment. Max looks around and sees nothing but sand and dirt around them. They seem to be in the middle of a desert. The sky is pitch black. There is nothing visible in the distance. A heavy sandstorm stats to develop but Max stands her ground, despite the incredible force from it. "Chloe" crosses her arms and whistles an unknown tune.

"C'mon Max. You have to try something other than using my own attacks against me! Give me your best shot! You're boring me! I know you can do better!"

"Have it your way then!"

Max unleashes her most powerful shock wave attack that slices the sandstorm apart and heads towards "Chloe". However, "Chloe" stops the shockwave with only one finger.

"Is that all?" The Goddess taunts.

"N-no-way!"

_One finger? She blocked my shock wave with just one finger!? That was my full power...but it didn't do jack shit!_

_"_ I'll ask you again Max. Is that all?"

Beyond frustrated and desperate, Max unleashes dozens of shockwaves from her hands but "Chloe" blocks them all. None of them had any affect. Exhausted and tired, Max drops to one knee as she struggles to stand up after putting out a great amount of power. Despite the ferocious sandstorm, Max clearly sees "Chloe's" disappointed face.

"I'm...disappointed in you Max. I thought you had more fight in you."

Max starts to feel hopeless, weak, and scared.

_Am I facing death right now? I-I can't do anything against her! My rewind is useless. My Time Stop is worthless. Using her own attacks against her is pointless. My shock wave doesn't do anything! I can't use my Jedi-like powers against her. What the fuck am I going to do!? I-I'm going to die aren't I? Chloe! Please! Help me! Chloe...Dammit! It can't end like this! No way! Not after everything! There's no way I'm going down this easily!_

"Hmm?"

"Chloe" acts surprised as Max stands up with her aura more powerful and shining than ever. Max gives her a death stare.

_I still have...the Time Skip...the technique that my other self used against me. I'm wearing her ring. I saw her do it. I'm sure I can do it too. It's my only chance..._

"Chloe" beckons and taunts her. Max looks at the Time Ring she obtained from her alt-self then closes her eyes. Using her utmost mental concentration, she looks directly at "Chloe's" eyes and performs a Time-Skip. Max travels faster than light, crosses through an interval dimension, and punches "Chloe" right in the face. The intensity and power from Max' punch sends 'Chloe" flying away, cracks the ground beneath them, and blows away the sandstorm. Max stares at her right hand in awe and watches her enemy drop to the ground, apparently knocked out.

_It...it worked! I landed a direct hit! The Time-Skip worked! That was amazing! I feel so alive...Wowsers!_

_"_ Take that bitch!" Max has turned the tables and now taunts her opponent. She is about to do another Time-Skip but is stopped by "Chloe's" quick recovery.

"I see. I see now. You did have more fight in you. I was right. What a terrifying ability you have Max. Outstanding! Play time is over though."

"Chloe" lets out a terrifying devilish screech and her arms turns into several green thick tentacles that grabs Max by her hands and legs. Her aura disappears and she is completely immobilized. One of the tentacles grabs Max by the neck and drags her body towards "Chloe."

_What the fuck!? I can't move or...breathe! What the fuck is she going to do?_

"You need your arms to control time. I will remove them!"

Max starts to get electrocuted and feels her energy being drained. She tries her hardest to fight back or wiggle her away out but it is no use. She cannot use her time powers. She cannot use the time rings. She starts to feel her arms and legs get stretched out. The pain is unbearable. She is being tortured and there's nothing she can do about it.

"I'm going to rip you apart Max Caulfileld. Any regrets? Hmm?"

As Max is losing conscious and about to die...she thinks of Chloe, Arcadia Bay, her friends, and the possible future she would've had with Chloe. She wants her last memories to be of people and events that made her happy. She has accepted death. She will no longer suffer. The pain is so excruciating that all Max wants now is to die, so this can be all over. Just before Max faints, a word comes up in her mind. The word Pvt. Stevens told her before they separated. The Latin word she uttered when she reduced an alien beast to dust.  _Deleo._

_Deleo...Pvt. Stevens...told me I spoke that Latin word...when I erased that being...could it work against her? I need to use all my remaining power..._

Max opens her eyes and faces "Chloe". Using everything she has left, mentally, physically, and vocally, she stares directly at her enemy's eyes and utters," _DELEO"!_

"Chloe" looks confused at first but starts to scream in agonizing pain. She watches the tentacles that were holding her get reduced to dust and her enemy's left side body starting to get erased. Erased from existence.

"Wh-what is this attack!?" Her enemy yells and lets out a terrifying screech as she watches the left side of her body slowly fade away into nothingness.

"Caulfield! I will kill you!" The otherworldly goddess desperately tries to attack Max but is unable to do so. No longer restrained, Max's aura returns and she remains focused on her  _Deleo_ technique. Her body has now been completely reduced to half, with only her right side remaining. "Chloe" suddenly tightens her remaining hand and creates some sort of portal or black hole. Max realizes this and desperately tries to finish the job to prevent whatever she is about to do but something stops her. "Chloe" grabs something from the black hole and shows it to Max, who can't believe her eyes. She has pulled somebody from the black hole. It's a teenage girl with strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. She's wearing a hoodie and dressed in alternative rock clothing. It's the real Chloe Price. Not her blue hair punk Chloe, but a younger version of her.

"Go ahead and kill me Max! You will need to kill your best friend too! Are you sure you want to do that?"

_Oh fuck! She's using Chloe as some sort of shield! I can't...I can't hurt Chloe!_

"No! Let her go! Please!" Max pleads for her to let Chloe go but she refuses. The real Chloe is being grabbed by her neck and is clearly struggling to breathe.

To avoid killing Chloe, Max loses concentration and ceases her erasure attack. The real Chloe gets released but gets tossed towards Max, whom rushes to her aid.

"Chloe! Chloe! Are you ok?"

Chloe starts coughing and looks at Max, trying to catch her breath.

"Max!? Is that...you? You look...different...you look older. Is that really you?"

"Yes, it's me Chloe. It's me Max! Your best friend! I'm here."

Max hugs Chloe who returns the favor but is obviously confused about what is happening. As she's hugging Max, Chloe looks at the monster that is only yards away from them. The monster that resembles her future self. Who is literally cut in two. She starts to really freak out and tries to run away.

"Max...what the fuck is going on? Where the hell are we? I'm in a dream right? A nightmare? Please tell me I'm dreaming. What the fuck is that?" Chloe points at the half- monster.

"I wish I knew Chloe. I really wish I knew. Please stay behind me Chloe. You're about to see some serious shit."

"Huh? What are you talking about Max? What the fuck is this place?"

"Just get behind me! Trust me please!"

"MAAAAAAAXXXXX CAAAAUUUULLLLFFFFIIIIIIEEEEEELDDDDD!"

Hearing her name being shouted with such anger and hatred, Max turns around and sees that the Goddess has changed back to her original appearance. She's clearly in pain and in shock. She's visibly angry. Her shining white aura has turned into a solid gold colored one.

"LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO ME MAX CAULFIELD! YOU HAVE DESTROYED MY BODY! I AM NOT GOING TO FORGIVE THIS! YOU HAVE DOOMED YOURSELF! NO MORE PLAYING AROUND! I WILL UNLEASH MY TRUE POWER! THIS IS THE POWER OF A GODDESS! BOW BEFORE ME PATHETIC INSECTS!"

She lets out another terrifying devilish screech and much to Max's surprise, regenerates her erased body. The Goddess snaps her fingers and changes the setting once again, now they are back at the palace in the middle of space.

_Oh...fuck..._

**CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 22**


	22. The Gatekeeper

**Chapter 22**

* * *

Chloe and Max hold hands, both feeling afraid of what is to come. Chloe is beyond terrified and is trembling in fear from witnessing something so unusual. Max is sweating profusely and feels like she's about to throw up. She realizes that she is probably doomed. She has used every technique and skill she has but none of them are working. She starts to shed tears as she stares right at the Goddess's face looking down on her. Chloe notices that Max is crying and tries her best to comfort her while trying to understand what is going around her. The Goddess descends and slowly approaches the two of them. Both of them can feel the tremendous pressure coming from the Goddess.

"Chloe, stay behind me. I'll protect you. If something happens to me...just run. Run away!"

"Max, there's nowhere to run! Look at the ground! It disappeared! Oh my god...what's that under us?"

Max looks beneath her and sees that apart from a few yards of sandy ground left from the previous setting, there's nothing but pitch darkness beneath them. She realizes that surrounding stars and star dust are slowly being swallowed by the darkness. She can feel both of them being pulled in towards the bottomless pit.

_Jesus...is that... a gigantic black hole under us? What the fuck?_

"Hold on to me Chloe. Don't let go. Please! Do not look down!"

"What the fuck is going on Max? I'm so fucking scared!"

"Me too Chloe. We're fighting for our lives here. We need to stand tough and get out of this mess though. Hang on tight."

_What the fuck am I going to do? She can regenerate from any attack I dish out. My time powers are ineffective. I can't leave Chloe alone. I have to try something...but what? What can I possibly do? She's coming directly at us. We're fucked!_

Chloe holds Max for dear life as the otherworldly goddess reaches them and goes face to face with Max. Max tries her best to look unafraid and unfazed but the Goddess sees right through her.

"I'm going to rip you apart Caulfield. There's nothing you can do. I'm going to kill you first then your kill your little girlfriend here. Trust me though, it's for the best."

"Fuck you bitch!"

Max attempts a short distance time-skip punch but the Goddess counters it and grabs Max's right hand before she can land the punch. She breaks Max's hand and Max screams in agony. Chloe is horrified and cries out her best friend's name.

"MAX! NO!"

"Your pathetic tricks no longer work on me little girl."

Max desperately tries to escape the grip and tries to punch and kick her way out but none of her attacks are having effect. Although she feels excruciating pain from her broken hand, she refuses to give up and tries her telekinetic attacks but they have no effect. Max's frustration and desperation is pleasing the Goddess who smiles at her futile attempts to break free.

"Let's try this again shall we?"

Instead of tentacles this time, the Goddess forms a lasso from out of thin air and grabs Max by the throat and slams her repeatedly on the sandy ground in front of Chloe, who turns away in shock. Chloe covers her face and starts crying in fear as Max gets attacked. The constant slamming causes items to drop from Max's backpack and pockets. The Goddess brings Max towards her and puts her in a chokehold using her bare arms. Max can feel the sheer coldness from the Goddess's arms as she feels her air and life being drained away. The Goddess points at Chloe and taunts her.

"Don't worry, you're next Price."

Max looks at Chloe's terrified face. Chloe is trembling in fear and has tears flowing down her eyes. Max seeing Chloe so vulnerable and scared for her life pisses her off.

"I...will...not...let...you...hurt...her!"

Max angrily bites the Goddess's arms which makes the alien being groan and roar with pain. Catching the Goddess off guard, Max gets behind her and puts her in a chokehold of her own. However, the Goddess uses her own body to electrocute Max which greatly damages her but she refuses to let go. The electricity's power gets increased tremendously but Max still holds on for dear life. To shake Max off from her, the Goddess begins to fly and move in incredible speeds but Max still refuses to let go. Appearing nothing more than blurs and flashes of lights to Chloe, Max and the Goddess fly through nearby planets in seconds.

"Let go of me you little rat. Let go of me now! You're not even accomplishing anything!"

"Then why are you so afraid miss wanna be god? I won't ever let you go. I won't let you hurt Chloe or anybody else!"

"THEN I WILL FORCE YOU TO LET GO OF ME!"

The Goddess flies away from the solar system and heads directly towards Chloe.

_Oh no! She's heading right towards Chloe! She's going to get killed! It's time to rewind this before it's too late!_

Max, holding on with her left hand and extending her right hand, she rewinds time with all the power she has left. The Goddess screams in agony as time and space gets rewound. Feeling relieved that she's finally damaging her, Max continues to rewind time while holding the alien being's neck.

_My rewind is working! It's hurting her! Looks like not even she can resist the actual effects of going back in time! Her body can't handle it! I have to keep holding onto her. I have to keep...rewinding! It's my only chance!_

The Goddess's backward roars, screeches, and sounds scares the living crap of Max but she continues to rewind time. However, Max soon feels her grip and rewind power rapidly diminishing. The Goddess realizes this and unleashes a powerful wind from her body that blows Max away from her. Max quickly goes to Chloe's side and keeps an eye on the alien being. Her rewind has definitely taken a toll on the Goddess, who seems to be terrified and recovering from the rewound.

_She looks weak now. That wind she created...must have been her actual full power. It was her only way to escape but now she looks drained and weak after that. It's now or never! I have to continue the assault!_

_"_ Wait here Chloe. I'll finish the jo-"

Before Max can attack or react, the Goddess has formed a long energy blade from her right hand that pierces through Max's throat. Chloe screams in horror as she watches her best friend get impaled. In her last seconds of life, she can hear Chloe shout her name and gets one last look of the Goddess's face, smirking at her.

_C-c-c-chloe...noo..._

"MMMMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX!"

The Goddess tosses Max's lifeless body at the black hole and turns towards Chloe.

"You're next Price. Oh you're next!"

"No! No! No! You motherfucker! Fucking bitch! Fuck you whoever or whatever you fucking are! You killed my Max! You killed my best friend! You're not gonna get away with this!"

Chloe stands up and grabs the Desert Eagle that dropped from Max's pockets and points it at the Goddess as Max's body gets swallowed by the black hole.

* * *

"Max...open your eyes...wake up please...Max? Can you hear me? Please wake up."

An unfamiliar young woman's voice can be heard. The young woman's voice is soothing and angelic.

"W-what? Who-who are you?"

"Open your eyes and see."

Max slowly opens her eyes and sees the shoes of the young woman. They're a pair of Chuck Taylor All Stars. She looks up and examines the woman from head to toe. She's a beautiful blonde girl with hazel eyes. She's wearing a red and black checkered shirt and denim jeans. She's wearing a blue feather earring. As soon as Max realizes who the woman is, the woman gives her a wink. It's none other than Rachel Amber.

"R-Rachel?"

"Max Caulfield in the flesh. At last we meet!"

"Is that really you?"

"Yup! The real deal!"

"But-how? How could this be? Aren't you dead?"

"Just like you Super Max?"

"W-wait? What? I'm dead?"

Max looks around and sees nothing but shades of gray and white. There's nothing aside from the two of them. Remembering how she got killed, she checks her throat but feels and sees no visible injuries anywhere on her body. She feels no pain. She actually doesn't feel a thing. She notices that she's a wearing a white gown as if she's getting married. She looks back at Rachel who just gives her a warm comforting smile while looking at her.

"Of course you're dead Max. How else could we be talking right now?"

"So...I was...killed? That Goddess alien thing actually killed me?"

"Looks like it yes."

"Damn. Holy shit. That...sucks."

"From a certain point of view, yes, it does suck major dick."

"From a certain point of view? What do you mean by that Rachel?"

"Oh Max, you beautiful, wonderful, and powerful girl. There's so much you need to know about the wonders of the universe. It's unfortunate that most of it...you only learn after you die."

Rachel waves her hands and changes the setting surrounding them. They are now in a rain forest-like environment. There's a gigantic waterfall and river nearby. The sky is beautifully blue. It's almost like they're inside a perfectly made beautiful landscape painting.

"Walk with me Max."

Rachel extends her hand and Max instinctively grabs it. The two of them walk side by side through the forest and heads towards the river. There's a tree bridge just besides the waterfall that goes to the other side of the river.

"W-what is this place Rachel? Is this heaven? Is this hell?"

"Neither Max. Those do not exist unless you truly believed in them. Let us cross the bridge to the other side. You first."

Max carefully begins to walk on the tree bridge with Rachel right behind her.

"T-then what is this place?"

"Some call it the gateway to peace. Some call it limbo. Some call it the final steps into immortality. Some just consider it a temporary place between life and death. There's endless interpretations and possibilities Max. It's different for everybody. That's the beauty of it!"

"I see...hey Rachel...where are we going? What's on the other side?"

"You'll see when we get there."

Rachel and Max have finished crossed the tree bridge and resume holding hands as Rachel leads the way though the trees and plants. As Max and Rachel are walking, Max realizes that the spiritual doe is walking besides Rachel and the blue butterfly is resting on Rachel's left shoulder with a raven on Rachel's right shoulder. Max looks around and can't believe how peaceful, quiet, and beautiful this place is. They eventually reach a dead end, a gigantic wall made of thick tree roots.

"Now for the moment of truth."

Rachel waves her hands and creates an opening on the wall. Max sees nothing but a very bright white light from the other side of the wall.

"Follow me Max. Slowly. You can let go of me but stay close."

"Umm...gotcha Rachel."

Max follows Rachel and the spirit animals towards the wall's entrance. From a distance, Max can sense and hear the voices of people. Some she recognizes. Some she doesn't. She watches Rachel and the spirit animals passing though the entrance however as soon as she is about to enter it, she is stopped by an unseen force or barrier.

"W-what's wrong Rachel? I can't pass through! Something is blocking my way! I can't see anything though!"

Rachel doesn't respond to her questions but smiles, crosses her arms, and nods her head.

"Just like I thought...right Chloe?"

"BOO YAAH!"

From out of nowhere and behind, Chloe appears and scares the living crap of Max. Max turns around and sees her punk best friend just a few feet away from her. Max immediately runs up to her and gives her a hug that Chloe gladly returns.

"Oh my gosh Chloe...Chloe...my punk Chloe...I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too Max. I'm very glad to see you in person again."

As Max is hugging Chloe, she realizes that for her to be in this place, whatever it may be, Chloe must be dead.

"Chloe...are you...dead?"

"Hella dead Max. We're all dead. Every single one of us!"

"W-what happened? Who killed you?"

"After you left to fight that alien being...the moon collided with the Earth. Pretty self-explanatory what happened right?"

"Oh no...dammit. I failed! I failed Chloe! I failed everybody I-I couldn't do it! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Rachel approaches from behind and puts her hand on Max's shoulder.

"Don't worry Max...none of us blame you for what happened."

"Yeah Max, we are all very proud of you. You have serious lady balls."

Max starts to cry and rests her head on Chloe's chest as Chloe holds her tightly.

"There there Max...let it all out. I know you been through a lot. Let it out. My beautiful courageous super Max. Let your feelings out."

"I-I'm sor-"

"Shhhh Max. Stop apologizing. None of this is your fault. There's no reason for you to feel guilty about any of this. This isn't the end after all."

"W-what?"

"Rachel, if you can do the honor."

"Certainly."

Max faces Rachel as she continues to hold Chloe, afraid that she might disappear at anytime.

"Max...it seems like you have been authorized a second chance."

"W-what? A second chance?"

"Yes, a second chance. At life!"

"W-what!? Seriously?

"Yes. You see...when you failed to cross the entrance...that indicates to me that there's something in the physical world that is holding you back. It's preventing your entrance to the after life. That's something that almost never happens."

"What does this mean Rachel?"

"That you're not truly dead! You're alive my friend! I should know. I am the gatekeeper after all."

"No-way! Really? It's...great that I'm alive... I think?

Max is unsure what to feel exactly. In one hand, she's certainly happy that she's still alive but on the other hand, she realizes that there's no point of being alive anymore.

"You don't look like that happy to hear that you're alive Max." Rachel comments and questions Max.

"Well-I'm not sure...I mean...what's the point of being alive...if the Earth is gone? I failed! I-also don't want to leave this place. This place is so beautiful and peaceful. I don't want to back to a world that doesn't even exist anymore!"

"Max, if you go back...you have a chance to save everybody and save the Earth from being destroyed. While I'm sure there are some people who really like being here, some would prefer to be alive. A lot of lives and potential were cut short." Rachel explains.

"I-If i go back? I have a choice?"

"Of course Max, it's ultimately your choice. However, I'm afraid, that since you've been authorized a second opportunity, you will not be able to cross over to the other side with us until you take that opportunity. You can choose to live out here in eternity but excluded from the rest of us."

"What? No! You guys aren't leaving me here alone right?"

"Max, you will never truly be alone. You will always have me by your side. However, Rachel and I can't stay out here forever. We are already dead and there's nothing keeping us tied to the physical world." Chloe comments as she puts her arm over Max.

"So...I have to back...and face her again? To save you and everybody's lives?"

Chloe nods her head. "You got it buddy. I don't know about you Max, but I wanted to continue to live and raise hell in the real world with my best friend by my side! We can't really do that here! We have a lot of things yet to experience Max! We are young! We can't just die so early! Not yet at least!"

"That sounds...exciting Chloe. B-but how am I suppose to defeat her? I used every inch of my power and skills but she's far too powerful! There's nothing I can do! I can't do this by myself!"

"You're totally right Max. Look behind you."

Max turns around and sees that there's now thousands if not millions of people surrounding them. She sees Kate, Victoria, Warren, her parents, Frank, Joyce, David, and many others among them.

"They all want to give you their energy and strength Max. They all want to help you defeat HER!" Rachel further explains.

Max watches in astonishment as all the people around them begin to shine as they raise their arms. Every single one of them lets out white colored energy particles that gest drawn towards her. As more of these particles reach her, she closes her eyes and begins to feel an extremely overwhelming amount of power and energy within her. The energy is not only powerful but pleasant, peaceful, and it feels amazing. Never before has she felt this powerful and confident. She re-opens her eyes only to see Rachel and Chloe remaining beside her. Everybody else has left. She checks her body and realizes that she's no longer shrouded in an aura. This time, there is only a simple but elegant white outline around her body. She's unsure what it is but it feels great.

"Whoa...I feel amazing! I feel like I could do anything with this power!"

"That's their gift to you Max. I think the least you can do...is try. I think you at least owe them that."

Max checks out her hands and body once more and thinks to herself.

_Rachel...is right. I was given a second chance and these powers for a reason. I can't let Chloe and the other die without trying to save them again. With this tremendous power...there's a chance I can defeat her and save the world!_

Rachel waves her hands again and creates some sort of portal that shows 16 year old Chloe aiming a gun at the Goddess. Chloe holds Max's hands firmly.

"My 16 year old self needs our help Max. It's time for us to become to fulfill one of our childish dreams, of becoming real life super heroes!

"Will you there be with me?"

"Of course. I'll never leave you."

Chloe passionately kisses Max on the mouth as Rachel happily watches them. They kiss for minutes before Chloe lets go from Max. The kiss is better than the kiss they had back in the woods. Max didn't want it to stop but knows that she has work to do.

"It's time Super Max."

"R-right...Rachel...how do I go back? I'm ready now!"

"Don't worry, I'll lead you the way out of here. Before I let you go though, there must be something I say and do.

Rachel walks up towards Max, gives her a kiss on the cheek, and hugs her tightly. She whispers in Max's ears.

"You are a very strong and courageous person Max. There's no words that can properly describe you Max. You are truly amazing. I'm so glad I was granted this opportunity to meet you after guiding you all this time. Remember Max, you're in charge of your own destiny. Do. Not. Let. Anyone. Tell. You. Otherwise. Do. Not. Be. Fooled."

"Well...thank you Rachel. I was so glad to meet you as well. We'll meet again when the time is right!"

Rachel lets go of Max and looks down for a moment but looks right back up and winks at her.

"Sure we will. Now grab my hand, it's time for you to woop some ass."


	23. Pricefield Fusion

**Chapter 23**

* * *

16 year old Chloe trembles in fear as she points the gun at the godly being, who looks back at her with a disgusted look in her face. Chloe can't believe that she just saw her best friend get murdered. The way Max died didn't help at all. Angry, confused, and scared for her life, Chloe stands her ground. The Goddess looks down at Chloe and teleports in front of Chloe, who jumps in fear. She takes several steps back but continues to point the Desert Eagle at the alien being.

"S-stay back! Stay back bitch! I swear I will shoot you! I swear!"

The Goddess does not say anything back and takes a step forward. Chloe closes her eyes and pulls the trigger, shooting the goddess point-blank. The recoil of the gun's blast forces Chloe to fall down. After several seconds of silence, Chloe re-opens her eyes, thinking that she might have killed the otherworldly being. She soon realizes that she's dead wrong. The Goddess caught the bullet with two fingers and shows it to Chloe, who's beyond terrified and in disbelief. The Goddess once again smiles and smashes the bullet to pieces. Chloe reaches for the gun again in desperation but the Goddess kicks it away, where it falls down the super massive black hole below. Chloe looks around, trying to see what else she can do, and sees the switchblade from Max's backpack. Chloe attempts to grab it but is stopped by the Goddess, who puts her right foot on Chloe's back. Chloe screams in pain as the weight of the Goddess's foot is overwhelming. The otherworldly being begins to chuckle and taunt Chloe.

"I have waited many years to destroy the  _real_  Chloe Price...it's too bad that you're no challenge to me. I like to have fun with my opponents. You're no fun. Unlike your...friend...hmmm?"

"You meanMax! Y-you killed my best friend! Y-you killed her! You fucking bitch! You're going to pay for that!" Chloe cries out while still attempting to grab the knife by crawling. The Goddess stomps her foot on Chloe's back, causing Chloe to cry out in pain.

"Of course I did! I did it for the benefit of the universe! Your little girlfriend was too dangerous to be kept alive! Don't worry Price...you'll soon join her!"

"FUCK YOU! GO FUCK YOURSELF!"

"Good good. Your pain. Your insults. Your futile attempts to escape. They all amuse me!"

Chloe, feeling hopeless and weak, begins to whimper and cry. She feels that she's about to pass out or even die anytime soon. She begins to think of Max, Rachel, William, Joyce, and all of her friends. The Goddess realizes that Chloe has given up and is about to faint.

"There there Price...before I kill you...I'm going to give you a going away present!"

"W-what?" Chloe responds faintly.

"Look at me Chloe." The Goddess's voice has changed. It is now a middle age man's gentle voice. A voice Chloe recognizes.

Chloe widens her eyes and can't believe what she's seeing. She looks at the Goddess, who now looks like her father, William Price.

"D-dad?" Chloe asks quietly and confused.

"It's me honey."

Chloe attempts to stand up but is unable to do so. "William" lends her a hand and Chloe is able to stand up, like . Chloe's eyes begins to water even more upon seeing her father again. "William" looks back at her with a warm and caring smile.

"D-dad...is that really you?"

"Of course it is dear. Now give your father a hug."

"William" opens his arms wide open and slowly approaches Chloe, whose heart is racing. For a moment, she feels happy and relieved upon seeing her father alive again. She wants nothing more but to hug him and cry on his shoulder after everything that has happened to her. However, she recalls what the otherworldly being told her prior to seeing him and refuses the hug. She manages to grab the switchblade and takes a few steps back. "William"'s smile turns into a frown and his eyes widen.

"How...dare you...you fucking...whore...bitch...slut...I don't care what the fuck you are or who the fuck you are...nobody messes with Chloe Price! Nobody! You don't mess with me like that!"

Chloe angrily shouts and runs up to "William" with the switchblade on her hand. The Goddess changes her appearance back to her regular self and her green eyes begin to glow. Chloe is stopped in her tracks and is raised in mid air by the Goddess's telekinesis. Chloe is brought face to face with the Goddess. She attempts to break free and stab her in the face, but she cannot move a muscle. She can't even move her eyes. She is completely immobilized. Chloe stares at the Goddess's glowing snake-like eyes and notices in her peripheral vision that she's charging a yellow colored ball made of plasma or fire.

"You're dead Price. Say hi to your little girlfriend and daddy for me."

Chloe is hurled thousands of miles away in an instant away from the otherworldly being. An overwhelming amount of force is pushing her into the utter darkness of space. Unable to break free or do anything, she sees a huge yellow light is heading right towards her. Everything is happening too fast for Chloe to even possibly understand. As the yellow light of death approaches her, Chloe braces herself for certain death. However, as seconds pass by, Chloe realizes that she's still alive and opens her eyes to see that she's back in the sandy platform, much to the complete shock of the Goddess. Chloe turns around and sees that the yellow light has exploded or made contact with an object, as there is now a supernova visible. Chloe turns around and sees that the Goddess is visibly confused, disturbed, and looking in all directions. Chloe is too confused and is unsure how exactly she made her way back. She looks below and realizes that the black hole that was below them has shrunken in size. Suddenly, a flash of shining bright white light appears from the black hole. The Goddess hisses at the light and looks away from it. Chloe then sees something else bright and shiny coming out from the black hole. Whatever it is, it is coming rapidly and right towards them. Chloe begins to feel a warm, comfortable, and kind presence coming from the shining light.

The light has overwhelmed the super massive black hole and makes it perish. The Goddess focuses her attention on the incoming object and prepares to attack whatever it is.

"You...you again!?" The Goddess shouts in the direction of incoming flash of light. Chloe connects the dots and realizes why the Goddess feels intimated and why the light gave her such wonderful feelings.

"Max!"

The flash of light approaches them and changes form, revealing the Time Warrior Max Caulfield, who is now shrouded by a bright white aura. Max gives Chloe a wink then faces the Goddess who is clearly disturbed and annoyed.

"MAX CAULFIELD! YOU CAME BACK!? YOU'RE SUCH AN ANNOYING PEST! WHERE WOULD YOU BE IF OTHERS WEREN'T PULLING THE STRINGS? YOU WOULD BE ROTTING IN HELL! I'M GOING TO FINISH YOU ONCE AND FOR ALL!"

The Goddess angrily shouts and lets out a terrifying roar that shakes the universe itself. Max remains still and has shrouded Chloe with a light barrier to protect her. Max prepares to engage with the otherworldly being but gets interrupted by a voice speaking to her mind.

_Max! Max!_

_Chloe!? You're here with me! Well I mean...the older you I just kissed..._

_Yes, it's me. Listen...in a few moments...I'm going to take control of my 16 year old self's body. We're gonna take this bitch down together!_

_W-what? You're gonna do wha-_

_I don't have time to explain! You're going to need my help. The power you just gained will not be enough to defeat her! We're going to merge together!_

_M-merge together!? What!? How?!_

_Once I take control of my younger self's body, just kiss me again. We will become one person temporarily. Two heads are better than one ya know!_

_"Become one person? You and me? In one body? What the?"_

_"Exactly Max. Sounds weird I know, but together, our strengths will drastically increase! Now you must be quick Max! I'm going to take over that Chloe's body now! So just give me a kiss OK? I'll signal you when I'm ready. OK?_

_OK..._

Max focuses on 16 year-old Chloe who is looking at her in awe but then shakes her head and gives her a wink and a thumbs up. Max knows it's time and rushes to Chloe and gives her a short but passionate kiss on the mouth which Chloe gladly returns. The two don't feel any of the merging until it is already over. The fusion of Max and Chloe lets out powerful but gentle pressure waves across the stars. The Goddess feels a terrifying amount of power coming from the now fused duo. The fusion of the Arcadia Bay best friends mixes the physical and mental characteristics of the two of them into one body. She has the body type of Chloe, has the hairstyle of Max but with blue bangs, Chloe's tattoo sleeve on her right arm, wears the bullet necklace which now has six bullets, has Max's eyes and freckles, wears Max's Doe shirt but with Chloe's destructed jeans and black boots. The fused duo begin to speak to the Goddess, who for the first time , seems to be afraid. Her voice sounds like Max's and Chloe's talking at the same time but with more intimidation.

"W-who are you?" The Goddess asks in fear.

_Chloax? Maxloe?...what should be our name Chloe? What do we say?_

_Who cares? Let's beat the shit out of her already!_

_Alrighty Chloe, you're in charge of half my brain anyway!_

"Chloe Price and Max Caulfield make...Pricefield!"

_Pricefield eh?_


	24. Pricefield against the Universe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note 1: The Fusion of Max and Chloe will simply be referred by 'Pricefield'.
> 
> Note 2: The fusion combines the body, mind, characteristics, etc of Max and Chloe. They are one person. However, they can still communicate with each other as separate entities.

**Chapter 24**

 

* * *

_What tremendous power we have! I feel like we could do anything! Let's do this!_

The Goddess is frozen still, confused and terrified upon seeing the fusion of the Arcadia Bay couple. She senses an unbelievable and overwhelming power from her. She shakes her head in disbelief and lets out another terrifying screech that once again shakes the entire universe. Pricefield remain unaffected by the screech and trembling and gives the Goddess a cocky wink, which angers her.

"BE GONE YOU HIDEOUS CREATURE! DISGUSTING RATS YOU TWO ARE! ALL YOU HUMANS ARE! I'LL WIPE YOU OUT FOR GOOD!"

"Bring it on. Bitch." Max and Chloe beckons the Goddess, which angers the otherworldly being even more, and prepares to fight.

The Goddess forms several long green tentacles from her arms, fueled by electricity, and hurls them at Pricefield who slaps them away. The alien being creates more of these tentacles in response and once again attempts to grab her but once again Pricefield slaps them away and even tangles up some of them. She then grabs some of the untangled tentacles, stretches them out until they get ripped apart, and slaps the Goddess's face with them. This forces the Goddess to groan in pain and retract her tentacles.

"Okay! You asked for it you cockroach!"

The Goddess starts off by launching thousands of purple plasma beams at Pricefield. The beams, traveling thousands of times faster than light, distorts and bends space and time itself as they pass through. However, this doesn't faze Pricefield at all and they simply stay still. The Goddess stops her barrage in shock as she realizes that all of her plasma beams have suddenly disappeared. The fused duo didn't even move an inch. None of her plasma beams made contact. Getting even angrier, she unleashes more of her plasma death beams with more might and speed. This time she doesn't stop her barrage for several minutes until she realizes that the same thing has happened. She's aiming directly at her target, yet, has failed to land a single hit. Pricefield still hasn't moved but is somehow evading her attacks. The Goddess lets out a tremendous roar in anger and unleashes another series of attacks. This time, however, instead of a straight forward barrage, she controls the direction and flow of every single plasma beam and hurls them at her target in all directions and speed, hoping to catch the fused duo off guard. Paying more attention to her attack, she realizes that right before any of her beams reaches Pricefield,they seem to be blocked by an unseen wall or barrier. Every beam disintegrates before it makes contact. The Goddess's random and unpredictable series of attacks forces Pricefield to move a bit, however ultimately remains unscathed.

"Y-You! What are you doing? Why aren't my attacks reaching you!? Tell me now!" The Goddess shouts as she shakes her head in disbelief.

"It's quiet simple actually. I can't believe you don't know the answer miss wanna be god. I guess I have surpassed you already. I'm not even trying though." Pricefield chuckles and gives the Goddess another wink causing the alien entity to hiss.

"TELL ME NOW YOU DISGUSTING PIECE OF GARBAGE!"

"Jeez, don't put your panties in a bunch miss alien freakshow. Fine. I'll tell you before I destroy you. Deal?"

"Don't get cocky you insect. Don't think that combining bodies will make a difference! I'm a God! You're nothing!"

"Sure. Whatever you say freak. Anyways, none of your little beams are reaching me because I can simply  _erase_ them. I simply stop time and cancel them out with a mere thought before they come close. Pretty cool huh? I guess you're too slow to figure this out on your own."

"Slow!? What did you say you little bug?"

"Didn't you hear me? You're too slow!"

"You little..."

"You're so annoying. It's time to end this once and for all."

Before the Goddess can react, Pricefield punches her right in the face and follows it up with a side kick to the face as well. The impact from her attacks causes the Goddess to be launched directly towards an asteroid field. After colliding through several asteroids, the Goddess emerges from the rumble and lets out yet another terrifying screech, which destroys all nearby asteroids instantly. The fused duo quickly arrives at the asteroid field and watches the Goddess begin to shine with a purple-black aura and starts to form and charge two giant pinwheel discs, one in each hand, made of terrifying amount of dark plasma and electricity.

"I'm going to kill you Caulfield and Price. You hear me?! I'm going to slice you in HALF!"

Pricefield braces herself as the Goddess launches the two energy disks at her. She attempts to stop time and simply erase them but realizes that the two discs are tearing a rift through space and time as it approaches them. Even with her time stop, the discs continue on their paths as they slice through the fabric of space and time.

_Those energy discs are ripping through literal time and space! My time stop isn't doing anything! I need to outrun them until I figure out something!_

Pricefield uses her speed to evade the discs but they are following her every movement. The Goddess is almost completely affected by the time stop but seems to be following the action with her eyes. Despite lack of movement from the Goddess, the discs continue to follow them, as if they have a mind of their own. The self-propelled discs continue ripping through the fabric of space and time and slicing through asteroids and space debris as Pricefield flies around the solar system.

_Max. I have an idea. She's barely following this at all. Let's trick these discs to slice her in half instead. She won't be able to dodge them. She'll be done for!_

_Good idea Chloe. Alright, here it goes!_

Pricefield abruptly charges directly at the Goddess who looks confused and concerned. Unable to move due to the time stop, the Goddess has no other choice but to stare directly at her enemy's eyes who is now standing before her.

"Have a taste of your own attack bitch."

The Goddess's eyes widen perhaps realizing what is about to happen. She attempts to break free from the time stop but is unable to get out of the way. Just before the discs reach Pricefield, she resumes time and teleports away. The Goddess screams and attempts to stop the incoming discs with her bare hands. The Goddess is pushed back several miles by her own attack and screams in agony as she struggles to avoid being sliced. Meanwhile, Pricefield waits for the perfect moment to attack. The Goddess, after a lot of effort and struggle, manages to compress the discs and crushes them. Realizing that the Goddess was grazed by her discs and is slowly recovering from that, Pricefield goes in for a surprise attack. She teleports behind the alien being and puts her on a choke-hold. The Goddess groans and roars and attempts to bite her away out but not even her fangs makes Pricefield let go of her.

"Good job stopping your own attack. But you are no match for me!"

Pricefield extends her right arm, choking the Goddess with her left, and rewinds time. However, this rewind is unlike all the others before it. The visible universe around them completely changes in appearance. The asteroids that were destroyed suddenly come back, distant stars and constellations have moved in position, supernovas fade away, and a rocky planet that was not previously there appears. In mere seconds, Pricefield has managed to rewind eons in time. This tremendous rewound completely disfigures the Goddess who is now completely swirled up. Completely shaken and badly damaged, the Goddess lets out a weak cry as she hopelessly floats in space. Her disfigured twisted face exposes her disgusting wide mouth and long snake tongue which disgusts Pricefield.

_Look at her. We messed her up pretty bad. Did she really deserved that?_

_Of course Max! She killed everybody! She deserves much worse!_

_Let's put her out of her misery and get this over with._

"This is the end for you! You don't mess with us and live to tell the tale! In the name of everybody from earth, this is goodbye!"

Pricefield time-skip punches the disfigured alien being which sends her flying towards the rocky planet that was just spawned in. The overwhelming power of Pricefield causes the planet to explode upon impact. She protects herself from the flying debris from the exploding planet by creating a barrier around herself. After several minutes, she no longer senses a trace of the otherworldly being and is convinced that she has done her job.

"It's finally over! We did it!"

However, before she can celebrate, she senses a tremendously large power nearby. She erases the destroyed planet's remains and looks for the Goddess. Flying all over the solar system and asteroid belt, she searches for the otherworldly being but is unable to find her despite sensing her presence.

_How could this be? I sense her everywhere I look yet I can't find her. She's definitely out here somewhere! I better watch out! She might be doing something!_

"MMMMMMAAAAAAXXXXXXXXXXX CCCCCCCCCAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLLLLFFFFFFFFFIIIIIEEEEEEEELLLDDDDD!"

She covers her ears from the terrifying loud voice shouting her name. She looks around and realizes that the entire universe has completely changed in appearance again. This time however, it doesn't even look like a universe anymore. Apart from a few visible stars and planets left, there's nothing but green and purple colored shades. She still doesn't see the Goddess anymore but continues to sense her presence all around her.

_Okay this is getting scary now. Where the fuck is she? She just screamed my name. It sounded like she spoke through loudspeaker. Wait a minute, did she? Oh shi-_

She starts to hear loud laughter all around her. Pricefield looks around in all directions and braces herself for anything. The universe around her now starts to resembles an acid trip with variant neon colors, odd looking shapes and patterns, and distorted human and alien like-faces. The Goddess's voice returns and now she realizes that, somehow, the otherworldly being has become  _the_  universe itself and is speaking through it.

"YOU PIECE OF HUMAN TRASH! YOU HAVE RUINED MY BODY! MY PRECIOUS, BEAUTIFUL, GODLY BODY! YOUR FUTILE ATTEMPTS TO STOP ME ENDS HERE. THIS IS  _MY_  UNIVERSE! I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT WITH IT! I CAN CHANGE THE DENSITY AND WEIGHT OF ANY OBJECT! I CAN FORCE GRAVITY IN ALL PLACES! I CAN CREATE A TRILLION SUNS IN AN INSTANT! I CAN REARRANGED THE FORMATION OF THE STARS TO MY LIKING! YOU'RE NOTHING COMPARED TO ME! NOW DISAPPEAR!"

As the Goddess shouts her apparent capabilities, she backs her claims up by displaying them in front of Pricefield. Planets, stars, asteroids, and other space debris suddenly come falling down from the skybox, as if gravity is pushing them downwards. Countless stars varying in size and color also suddenly spawn and they quickly collide with each other like marbles. Although Pricefield herself is ultimately left unaffected by these events, she is still forced to evade all the incoming obstacles and destruction around her.

_Holy Shit! She's getting crazy now! She's destroying and rewriting the law of physics! She definitely did something with the gravity. Looks like I'm not directly affected by these changes but what the hell am I suppose to do now? There are millions of things happening all around me and she's no where to be found! Her powers are fucking frightening! How am I suppose to fight her now?_

"MY POWERS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFECT YOU...BUT IT CAN AFFECT EVERYTHING  _AROUND_  YOU!"

In an instant, the chaos disappears but are soon replaced by countless human sized figures, possibly made of clay, who emerge and surround Pricefield. The figures suddenly morph into people they recognize including Jefferson, Nathan, Warren, Kate, Victoria, Frank, Steph, Drew, Joyce, and others. They all have the same emotionless zombie look on them and they begin to attack the fused duo. Pricefield attempts to stop time but quickly realizes that she's unable to. Caught off guard, they are soon overwhelmed by the countless clay human-like clones attacking them from all directions. She can hear the Goddess's massive laughter in the background as she gets ambushed by these odd looking figures.

_What the hell is going on? I can't stop time! I can't rewind either! I don't feel like I lost any of my powers yet I can't use them! I still feel the overwhelming energy within but something is wrong. Beating the shit out of people who resemble our friends and family members doesn't this make this any easier either. These things aren't too tough but there's way too many of them!_

Relying on her tremendous durability and physical power, she is able to recover from the initial assault and starts to counter attack. However, she realizes that as soon as she takes care of one enemy, 10 more take its place. She attempts a time-skip attack but is immediately cut off by an unseen force and gets ambushed again. The loud laughter continues.

"SOMETHING THE MATTER YOU RAT? OH YES! YOU CAN'T USE YOUR TIME POWERS ANYMORE! WELL GUESS WHAT? I DELETED TIME FROM MY UNIVERSE! TIME NO LONGER EXISTS HERE! I ERASED THE CONCEPT OF TIME! HAVE FUN YOU PATHETIC PUPPET!"

_Oh fuck, she erased time itself? How the fuck is that even possible? That explains why I can't use my time powers anymore. Shit, there's so many of them! They're a bunch of weaklings but they're so annoying. Fuck, they are ganging up on me._

Dozens of these clones get behind her and hold her tight as thousands more gather around them. They are trapped inside the horde of clones, unable to move an inch. She can still hear the Goddess chuckling out loud despite being physically crushed by the horde.

_There's no way we're going to get defeated by something like this. We have to fight back! No holding back! She may have erased time but we're capable of much more!_

The Goddess's chuckling is immediately cutoff upon seeing the horde of clones getting completely disintegrated. Pricefield has powered up and begins to shine with colorful red and blue aura. The remaining clones go after her but the aura repels them away. Pricefield raises her right hand, closes it, and all the remaining clones get erased. The Goddess, in a panic, spawns more of these clones but they all share the same fate. Pricefield looks up at the sky and shouts at her enemy.

"IS THAT THE BEST YOU GOT? COME AND FACE ME YOURSELF! STOP SENDING THOSE THINGS AFTER ME! THEY ARE WORTHLESS!"

"DON'T WORRY LITTLE GIRL. I'LL MAKE THEM MORE DIFFICULT FOR YOU! GO AHEAD AND KILL AS MANY AS YOU CAN! THEY WILL JUST KEEP COMING BACK! I CAN MAKE THEM IMMORTAL AND I CAN DO THIS FOREVER!"

Millions of these clones spawn, stronger and faster than the earlier ones, but they are no match for Pricefield. Her aura and physical powers are on a completely different level. She can easily fend off thousands in a second and any hits she does receive doesn't hurt her at all. As she is taking care of the clones, she realizes that she can still use her shockwave attack, billion times more powerful than ever, and uses them against the attackers. In less than a minute, she has taken care of the clones that spawned in. She can tell the Goddess is getting irritated and frustrated by the sounds she hears. They're unsettling groans, hisses, and growling.

"You're boring me miss goddess. Just come and face me yourself already. Oh wait, are you afraid that I will mess you up like before? That's it right? Go ahead and send more of your clone buddies at me. I'll simply destroy them. You must realize that you're getting nowhere with this!"

_We're pissing her off even more. Is that a good idea Max?_

_Yes Chloe. She might be a superpowered alien being but she's isn't perfect. She acts exactly like a child not getting what she wants. The angrier she gets, the chances of her getting careless and making mistakes increases! Mistakes that we will capitalize on!_

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE YOU LITTLE BUG? ONLY IF YOU KNEW WHAT IS WAITING FOR YOU! BUT YOU WON'T EVEN EXPERIENCE THAT! BECAUSE I'M GOING TO WASTE YOU HERE AND NOW! GET ENGULFED BY MY POWERS!"

The universe around them starts to crumble as a massive planet sized tornado develops in front of them. The tornado is completely made of the unusual trippy abstract patterns and objects that make up the current universe's appearance. The tornado is trillions of times more powerful than the Arcadia Bay tornado.

_That sure looks familiar. A fucking tornado in space? What the hell is next? It's heading right towards me. It's getting bigger and faster by the microsecond. Oh fuck!_

The super massive tornado has managed to swallow her up and she gets trapped in the vortex. As Pricefield goes around in circles at immense speeds, she begins to feel real pain and worries her bones might break apart at any minute.

_Max, this is getting bad. She's getting more desperate and dangerous. The more damage we take. The less time our fusion lasts. We need to finish this quickly!_

_But how?_

_We need to truly unleash our full power! No more holding back got it? I'm giving it all but I feel that you're holding us back. Don't be scared to use that great power you have Max. Remember, if we defuse, we won't stand a chance against her!_

"JUST DIE ALREADY YOU DAMN INSECT! GET DEVOURED BY MY TORNADO! JUST GO AWAY ALREA-WAIT WHAT?"

The Goddess is left speechless as Pricefield, who now shines with a white aura, casually blows away the super massive tornado from within by using a series of her shockwave attacks. The powerful shockwaves travel across the visible universe and eventually reach the corners of the observable universe, ripping holes in reality. The Goddess screams in agonizing pain as more cracks are created from the shockwaves.

_That's it! I'm ripping through the fabric of space and time just like she did earlier. This time,however, I'm ripping holes in her own reality. She merged with the universe and now has to endure the pain. This is my chance!_

Pricefield unleashes more of her piercing shockwaves in all directions creating more cracks and holes in reality. The Goddess screams and screeches and desperately launches lightning and plasma beams from above at Pricefield but they have no affect on her. As she continues her assault, she realizes that there is something visible through the cracks. Mostly darkness but she can see distant stars and something gray and rocky, resembling the Moon. As more cracks are made, she realizes that on the other side of the holes, she can see glimpses of the Earth. She flies towards one of the larger holes and investigates it. Although she can clearly see the Earth, she realizes that she cannot simply step inside the hole and go through it, as there still seems to be an invisible wall in between the two realities. She also notices a short gap of space composed of apparently nothing but pitch darkness in between the two universes.

_Whoa! That's our Earth all right! I thought it was destroyed! This must be way back in the past then since I did a massive rewound earlier. That's another way out of here once I'm done here. Speaking of, I need to kill this bitch immediately before she tries something ne-_

The Goddess's terrifying disgruntled voice shouting Max's last name breaks her train of thought.

"CCCCCCCCCCCAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!"

_Too late._

"I'M THROUGH WITH YOU! I'M THROUGH WITH YOUR UNIVERSE! YOU HAVE SINNED ENOUGH! YOU HAVE LIVED LONG ENOUGH! I'M GOING TO WIPE YOU ALL FROM EXISTENCE! IT'S A GOOD THING YOU SENT US BACK IN TIME CAULFIELD! I CAN NOW DESTROY YOUR WORLD AGAIN! I'M GOING TO FINISH YOU OFF IN ONE BLOW! I DON'T CARE IF I HAVE TO DESTROY MY OWN UNIVERSE! YOU NEED TO DIE NOW! EVEN IF I MISS YOU, MY FINAL ATTACK WILL BLOW AWAY YOUR ENTIRE UNIVERSE! YOU BETTER BE READY CAULFIELD! THIS IS GOODBYE!"

_Holy shit Max. She has lost it. She's willing to wipe out her own universe to get rid of us. She's going all out. We must stop whatever she throws at us. It seems that her universe and ours are intertwined. If we fail to stop it, everything we know of will get destroyed and possibly erased from existence! Holy fuck what is she doing? Looks she's consuming her universe and concentrating all of it into one gigantic energy ball of destruction!_

The abstract acid trip-like colors, patterns, faces, and other objects that made up the Goddeess's universe rapidly gets drained, exposing more of Pricefield's normal universe, into a massive frightening death ball. The death ball, the size of the Sun and at the edge of the universe, is completely composed of dark matter and energy. The pressure and overwhelming concentrated power of the sphere is starting to crack the invisible boundary separating the two realities. Pricefield knows she doesn't have time to mess around and charges right towards super massive death sphere. She can hear the Goddess speaking from inside the collection of dark matter.

"FAREWELL CAULFIELD AND PRICE!"

As Pricefield charges at it, the sphere of destruction charges back at full force. Although completely dwarfed in size, Pricefield continues to head towards it, also at full power. They eventually clash and Pricefield gets severely pushed back from the devastating energy. She attempts to stop the blast with her bare hands after her shockwaves having no affect on it. She screams as she struggles heavily to neutralize the death sphere but the Goddess's strength is overpowering her.

_Dammit! We're doomed! I can't stop this thing! If only I can rewind or stop time...but she took away time itself! Wait a second, I'm no longer in her universe am I? This massive destruction ball is her universe. I have to try to use my time powers again. It's my only chance now. We're getting closer to Earth by the microsecond. It's now or never!_

Using all of her physical strength and mental concentration, she manages to slow down the sphere's path and eventually freezes it in place with her time stop. Using her utmost mental concentration, she keeps the death sphere at bay without using her hands.

"NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!" The Goddess starts to panic and scream in horror. Pricefield then opens her arms and screams as she attempts to destroy the dark energy sphere. She closes her eyes and using every ounce of her energy and strength, which is rapidly diminishing, starts to slowly compress the Goddess's universe. The agony is unbearable but she continues her efforts, fueled by the memories and thoughts of everybody back home. She can hear the Goddess's voice screech, growl, and cursing at her in an unintelligible language as her universe, her own body, is getting confined.

"THIS IS FOR EVERYBODY YOU DESTROYED! THIS IS THE POWER OF US HUMANS!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! DAMN YOU CCAAAAAAAUUUUUULLLLLLFFIIIIIIEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLDDDDDDDDDDD"

Using all of her remaining vitality, she has completely flatten the size of the death sphere into the size of a volleyball. She's holding the entire Goddess's universe in her hands. Pricefield gasps for breath and almost collapses but continues to hold the dark energy orb. She's about to shatter the universe but gets interrupted by the Goddess's weak and pleading voice.

"Wait Caulfield! Please don't kill me! I never meant to do any of this. Please, listen to me! I need to tell you something important! If you kill me, you're going to kill a lot of innocent lives that reside in my universe! Please, you're not a murderer! You're going to regret killing me. I'm not the one-"

Before the Goddess can finish speaking, Pricefield completely crushes her into pieces then erases every trace of her left. She begins to feel nauseous, fatigued, and is about to pass out.

_We...did it Chloe! We did it! It's truly over now. We defeated her! I'm so glad it's over. We saved everybody. But we better...get out of here...before we faint..._

_We kicked a lot of ass today Max! I'm so glad I was able to spend one last day with you._

_O-one last day? What do you mean? Chloe..._

_I'm sorry Max. It's time to say goodbye...I love you so much. Thank you for everything._

_C-Chloe?..._

They defuse and Max catches a glimpse of Chloe's spirit waving goodbye, with tears on her eyes, as she vanishes into thin air. She also catches one last glimpse of the blue and green planet before she whites out.

* * *

"Max. Max. Mmmmaaaaaaaxxxxxxxxx. Open your eyes."

Max hears a strange man's raspy voice whispering to her. The man's voice sounds familiar, however, it's not William's, Warren's, Nathan's, Jefferson's, or any male voice she knows. As Max slowly opens her eyes and regains conscious, she remembers the man's voice.

_It's that man's voice! He spoke to me at the hospital. He kicked started this entire week or so of madness. W-who is he? Where is Chloe?_

Max manages to open her eyes completely and sees an average height pale-skinned green eyed man with a round face and a side part haircut standing before her. He's dressed in a black business suit jacket with a black tie. The man clears this throat and smiles at Max.

"Miss Caulfield. At long last we meet."

**TO BE CONCLUDED IN CHAPTER 25**


	25. The God of Time

**Chapter 25**

* * *

The mysterious man offers his hand to help Max stand up, which she hesitatingly accepts. She can't stop looking at the man's sharp green eyes looking right at her. She gets up and looks around. Although there is no visible foundation, she is clearly standing on some sort of platform. There's countless television screen-like objects around them, each displaying something different from each other. Some are just displaying stars, some are displaying nebulas, some are display advanced alien-like cities, and some are focused on certain alien individuals, as if they were being spied on. She turns back and faces the man who helped her out. Clearly lost and confused, she begins to ask questions.

"W-who are you? W-where am I? What is this place?" Max asks quietly and keeps a distance away from the man.

"Ah, Miss Caulfield! This place. This is a place beyond length and width. Beyond the concept of depth and time. Beyond the third or even forth dimension! A place that should not exist but yet does! Welcome to  _my_  headquarters! It's a pleasure to meet you at last Miss Caulfield."

"I-I don't think I understand. I'm not following..."

"Don't worry, I don't expect you to understand. Not even the brightest of your species could comprehend any of this. You'll soon learn though. I'm sure of it."

Max takes some deep breaths and continues to keep a distance from the odd looking green-eyed man staring at her. Although he's keeping a polite and professional approach, Max can't help but feel intimidated by him. There's clearly something odd about him. His voice and glare doesn't help at all either.

"Y-you haven't told me who you are yet. H-how do you know my name? H-how did I get here?"

"After your fight ended, I brought you here. For your own safety. I'm sure you wouldn't have liked floating amidst a destroyed universe. Floating endlessly to who knows where. You would've eventually died out there. We don't want that to happen right?"

"Well...thanks for saving me I guess...umm...so who are you sir?"

"To simplify matters, I'll just describe myself as the _God of Time_. My job is to control, govern, maintain, and oversee time itself across all universes, dimensions, timelines, and-well- all of existence. I sit on top of the entire space-time continuum and much more."

"You're...the God of Time? Oh my...but...you are only a human right? Just like me!"

"No. Don't let this body fool you. This is not my true physical appearance. Trust me, you don't want to see how I  _really_ look."

"So, you're not a human? Somehow I knew that. Anyways...what do you want with me? I'm sure you know that I can control time too. You're here because of that?"

"Obviously Max. Don't worry though, you haven't done anything wrong per se. Every action you have done with your powers can be justified. However, to be quiet honest, one of my duties  _is_  to eliminate troublemakers that are causing too much chaos to space and time. I have to say Max, you have done a great deal in such a short time-span. So much...destruction and risk. All for your loved ones! You remind me of myself."

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb the flow of time! I never asked for this power in the first place! I always meant to use my powers to do the right-"

The man does the silence hand signal which cuts off Max mid sentence.

"Silence Max. I understand. Trust me, I don't blame you for anything. So don't worry, I'm not going to destroy you because of your past actions. However, I will admit that your actions and motivations are what led me to become... _interested_  in you."

"I-interested? How? Why?"

"Well, as I was telling you, I govern time across the infinite multiverses and timelines. As you can imagine, there's a lot of places I need to be at any given time. There's countless universes I need to check on and civilizations, advanced and non, to oversee. Although the ability to control of time is extremely difficult to obtain across all planes of existence, there have been several universes that have spawned powerful time manipulators. There's also some universes that have spawned weak time manipulators but even the weakest ones can cause major catastrophe to the fabric of space and time, as you may know. Anyways, this is where  _you_ come in. Your world leaders gave me a great idea. They had you go on some missions and time experiments on their behalf. For their own benefit right? Well, I thought that was an interesting idea and it made me think. I could use some help...and after watching you in action, I think you would make the perfect fit."

"Help? The perfect fit? What do you mean by that?"

"Max, I want you to become my assistant. My successor. My equal. I have lived since the beginning of existence and have been assigned to the same job and duties ever since then. As species and civilizations become more advanced, the greater chance that eventually I will fail to keep everything intact. Although I do enjoy my job, it is at times, overwhelming. I want to train you to become a Time Goddess and eventually govern the entire space-time continuum in my place. You will become one with the universe and become immortal. You will experience and live a life that no other human ever will. You have great potential Max. Out of everybody I have ever met that had time manipulation abilities, you stand above all. Your courage, determination, mindset, strengths, passion, love, and even your weaknesses tells a lot about who you are. People weren't kidding around when they told you were someone special and you are. This is the chance of a lifetime Max. Utilize your skills and potential and transcend above all! So...what do you think?"

_What the hell? Offering to train me to become a God? Become immortal? I'm not sure if I like this one bit. I want to back to Earth and be with Chloe and the others, not be a fucking god!_

"W-what if...I refuse? Sorry, but that doesn't sound something I'm really interested in. I just want to go home."

"There is no home Max. It was destroyed. Why would you refuse? You know that Chloe wouldn't want you to reject this offer."

"Chloe!? How do you know that?"

"Because she knew about me. I talked to her about the offer I just purposed. She agreed with me that you need to come with me. If she were here, she would urge you to accept."

"No, you lie! She wouldn't do that! She's isn't like that! She wouldn't go along with anything you said!"

"I beg you differ Max. She completely understood the consequences and implications about your job offer. She agreed to let you go. Her friend, Rachel Amber, also agreed with me. They both wanted you to come with me."

"Bullshit! I don't believe you! Chloe wouldn't let me go for anything in the world! Rachel wouldn't either! I was just talking to them both earlier! If they knew about you, they would've warned me about you! They would've said something!"

"Max. You  _were_ warned. Multiple times. Not just by them but from your enemies as well. I almost destroyed Rachel after what she told you but it turns out that it didn't end up mattering. Your Chloe accepted your fate clearly. That's why she wanted to enjoy one last moment with you before you went off with me. I gave her a tiny portion of my power and taught her how to fuse with the person she loved. I'm sure you wondered how exactly she was able to communicate with you even when she was dead or how she knew that joining bodies would help you defeat miss Goddess."

_No! No! No! This can't be happening. This is complete bullshit! Chloe would've said something to me. She wouldn't sacrifice me over anything! This can't be true!_

"I see that you're flustered but you can't blame them Max. They just wanted what's best for you and for everybody else. Weren't you in a similar situation before? Because...should you refuse my offer...I'll erase all of humanity from existence. Humans, across all planes of existence, would be wiped away, with a flick of my wrist. They would have never existed. Everybody you have ever known, would be erased from history. Excluding you Max. You'll be sent to...well...let's just say...not a pretty place for a pretty girl like yourself."

"Y-you'll erase all humans? No! You can't do that! I-I won't let you!"

"I can and I will if you refuse to corporate. Are you sure you want to let everybody get erased after trying so hard to save them? Are you sure you want to waste all your efforts and skills for no reason? Do you really want your beloved Chloe to be erased?"

_Oh god, what the fuck am I going to do? This is getting pretty bad by the second. I-I need to get out of here. NOW! B-but how? There's no way out of here! I don't even know where I'm at! Wait... The Time Ring! I can use it to get out of here...wait...where is it?!_

Max looks at her hands and realizes that she's no longer wearing the time rings given to her. She searches her pockets in a panic but comes up with nothing.

"Looking for these?" The strange man walks closer to Max and shows the time rings that are resting on his hand to her. However, before she can even think to grab them from him, he crushes them into pieces. Max's heart sinks and begins to be overwhelmed by anxiety and hopelessness.

"You no longer needed those Max. Such inferior technology. Not bad for humans I suppose but completely useless."

_H-He...broke the rings. Oh my god. What am I going to do now? I need to rewind this! As far back as I possibly can! Is the only hope I have._

Max attempts to rewind time, first by using only her mental concentration but nothing happens. She quickly attempts to rewind time by extending her arm but despite her hardest and desperate attempts, is unable to rewind.

_What the fuck is going on? I-I can't rewind time! I'm trying as hard as I can but I can't! I feel...normal. I don't feel empowered anymore. Oh god, what is happening to me?_

The strange man chuckles for a bit and clears this throat. A long creepy grin begins to form on his face.

"I'm sure you're wondering why you can't rewind time anymore. It's simple actually. I took the liberty of relieving you from your powers and abilities. All of them. Isn't that nice?"

"You...stripped me of my powers!?"

"Correct. As the God of Time, I can grant and remove one's ability of controlling time very easily. Anyways Max, I hate to rush things but I've waited long enough. Will you come with me and become my apprentice or will you foolishly reject my offer? I'll give you a good minute to decide your fate. I know. I know. A minute isn't enough time to think all this through but at least I'm being generous. I was only going to offer you the illusion of free choice but after everything you went through, I think you earned the real deal. My apologies that it's yet another binary decision for you, I know you're not a fan of those."

Max lowers her head and clenches her fists. Powerless, weaponless, and ringless, tears begin to flow from her eyes. Completely devastated, a million thoughts and questions are racing through her head. However, she knows she's quickly running out of time. She has to make a decision sooner than later. There's no way out and no other alternative option. Accept his offer or the entire human race gets erased from existence and she faces certain death. As the seconds pass by, she thinks of Chloe and everything she has done for her. She abruptly raises her head and looks at the strange man smiling at her.

"If...I accept your offer...can you at least grant a request?"

"Hmmm...What is it?"

"Can you restore the Earth and protect it from the chaos that the Goddess and -I- created? I would like you to revive Rachel Amber too if that's possible."

"My my Max. At the end, it's all about Chloe and your friends huh? Very well then, I shall entertain your requests. However, in return, not only will you come with me but I will need to erase you, 'Max Caulfield', from history. So that means that Chloe, your parents, and everybody you have ever met or interacted with, will forget about you. Because you never existed. To be a true God of Time, attachments are forbidden so you also won't be able to go back to Earth anytime soon, if ever. Do not worry though, Chloe and everybody else will live the rest of their lives in peace. Rachel Amber will be safe. I promise you that. So how about it Max?"

_Okay, at least I got those request granted. But how can I really trust this guy? It might be all a ruse to get what he wants. Max, you don't have time to dwell on this. It's time to face your destiny. Whether you like it or not._

"Time to choooose..."

The man creates a green portal outta thin air and instructs Max to enter it.

**ENDING #1- MAX ACCEPTS THE TIME GOD'S OFFER**

Max takes a deep breath and starts walking towards the portal. She looks at the man standing besides her before stepping in. Although she doesn't understand who exactly this man is, his intentions, and doesn't even know what awaits her, she realizes that any slight chance of seeing Chloe and her friends ever again will only be possible if she accepts the offer. She reluctantly steps inside the portal and enters a dimension that resembles the hyperspace from  _Star Wars._

"Wisely done Miss Caulfield! I'll see you up ahead but for now rest. You're going to need it. A long journey awaits you."

"Wait! Hold on! What about-"

"I'll  _take_   _care_  of it."

The God of Time hushes Max and makes her fall asleep by a simple finger poke in the forehead. He enters the portal as well, picks up her body, and carries her across the timestream.

Several millenniums later, Time Goddess Maxine Caulfield is on a distant planet from a different universe, watching a primitive but promising alien civilization evolve. She carefully observes them from the top of a cliff, making sure she is not seen. Max, retaining her youth for eternity, now wears a full silver and gold Valkrie-like armor with wings that harnesses her powers. She now carries a long golden staff, with a blue butterfly carved on top which further enhances her powers. With her hair reaching the bottom of her feet, she has taken the appearance of a true Goddess Warrior of Time. As she observes the purple humanoid beings living a normal day at their village, she takes an interest on two of them. They are a couple of children, both female, playing a game of hide and seek. Their happiness and sister-like bond reminds Max about a certain someone. A tear falls from Max's right eye but she quickly wipes it off. She forwards time by twenty years to see the progress of the two children and leaves to another planet, with a smile on her face.

**ENDING #2- MAX REFUSES THE OFFER**

Max turns her head from side to side and gets into a fighting position. The God of Time's smile disappears and is replaced by anger and disappointment.

"No. I refuse your offer! I'm not being your slave! I'm not going to turn myself in! No way in hell! Not after everything. You're clearly a manipulative motherfucker! I don't care who you are and what you can do! Nobody controls my destiny, except for me! I don't give a fuck if you took my powers away from me, I never fucking wanted them in the first place! I don't believe a word you say! So go ahead and kill me! I'll accept my fate but I won't go down without a fight!"

Max charges the man and goes for a punch, fully knowing that she has no chance to beat him. The God of Time launches the portal at Max and she gets instantly teleported into an abyss. Max starts falling into nothingness for several minutes until she finally lands on some foundation. Suddenly, giant-sized reptilian creatures appear and surround her. Other alien monsters also appear, some she recognizes and some she does not. Jefferson, Nathan, Frank, and others also appear. She stands her ground but knows that her death is near. She gets extremely overwhelmed by the sounds of cries, whispers, pleads, and shouts from the people and creatures around her. Some of them are pleading for Max to get them out here but many are insulting her and cursing her out. The God of Time's voice starts speaking to her telepathically.

"I respect your decision Max. However, these guys do not. These are all the people and creatures you have either killed or erased since you started your adventures. Accidentally or not. They would like the chance to meet the girl responsible for the total annihilation of their friends and family. Have fun because you're going to spend eternity with them. Any regrets...Miss Caulfield?"

Max, instead of cowering in fear, charges right towards the endless enemies but quickly gets overpowered. She tries to protect herself as best she can but it is no use. This is a battle she has no chance of winning.

_Chloe..._

Ending themes Youtube: bXpGM6NgrZ8 and d1rO4VlsSgU

**THE END**

**Thanks for reading. I might go back on this and revise some of this in the future but for now, consider this completed.**


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